Unpaid Receivables

I live in Texas and have several dead-beat accounts that I have tried to collect for some time for medical services rendered. I have tried payment plans and still no response. Can these matters be handled in small claims court (all less than 5000)

Sure, just file a case for each of them. Only go after the ones which you have good documentation and proof of the debt, as well as a current address on the debtor. There's no use spending the court filing fee on something you might not win, or on a defendant you can't serve with a summons.

Another option is to turn the debts over to a collection agent. They'll keep a big chunk of what they collect (their chunk gets bigger as the debt gets older), but you won't have the hassle of spending your time in court.

[vrzirn]

If you do go to SCC make sure all your cases are on the same court date or you will be wasting a lot of time running back and forth and waiting forever for a single case to be heard
Getting a judgement and collecting are worlds apart. The best cases to try to collect on are those in which the deadbeat owns a house or has a job. Then you can attach a lien or garnish wages. Unfortunately, most do not.
It can't hurt to get a judgement because someday, down the road, those deadbeats might actually acquire some assets worth attaching. Usually though, it is not worth the hassle and you can put it into collection; let the agency chase them and report the debt to the credit bureaus.
vrzirn M.D.- been there, done that!

[JETX]

DrTBray:
The tips that you got from both the earlier posters is accurate, with one exception. Wages cannot be garnished in Texas. If/when you get a judgment, it will be up to you to collect it using the laws allowed in our state (Texas).

Though Texas is generally considered 'debtor friendly' (due to the number of allowed exemptions), it is always a good idea to get a judgment against the debtor. Some benefits:
1) A debt can expire in as little as four years, but a judgment is good for 10 years and can be renewed virtually indefinitely until collected.
2) A judgment gives you enforcement rights that are simply not available for 'normal' debt.