Glossary
Default judgment
A judgment entered against a defendant who fails to respond to the lawsuit by the deadline. The plaintiff wins automatically without ever going to trial: but the defendant can sometimes get the default set aside.
If you're served with a lawsuit and don't respond by the deadline (typically 20-30 days), the plaintiff can ask the court for a default. After default is entered, they can ask the court to enter a default judgment: usually for the amount they sued for.
Defaults are sometimes set aside if the defendant can show good cause: they didn't get proper notice, they had a legitimate emergency, the plaintiff hadn't actually proven their case, etc. But the longer it's been since the default, the harder it gets.
Bottom line: if you've been served, don't ignore the lawsuit. Even if you don't have a lawyer, file something: even a basic answer denying the claims: to avoid default.