| 00:00 |
Narrator: Welcome to Peachtree Injury Talk with attorney Jordan Jewkes.
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| 00:04 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Hello and welcome to Peachtree Injury Talk with Jordan Jewkes. Jordan strives to give injured victims a voice and provides strong advocacy against an often broken system. I am your host, Kevin Rosenquist, and today's episode is all about how to choose the best injury attorney for your claimāand what red flags you should watch out for. Jordan, welcome back.
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| 00:27 |
Jordan Jewkes: Hey, thanks Kevin, glad to be here. Looking forward to chatting with you today.
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| 00:30 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Yeah, glad to have you. So letās start hereāwhat are the most important qualities people should look for in a personal injury attorney?
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| 00:38 |
Jordan Jewkes: Thatās a really important decision. When youāre injured and possibly heading toward litigation against an insurance company, youāve really got one shot to get it right. So you want someone who will work hard, someone you can trust, and someone with experience and a proven track record. You donāt want to mess that up.
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| 01:22 |
Kevin Rosenquist: How important is it to have someone who specializes in personal injury versus a general practitioner?
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| 01:29 |
Jordan Jewkes: Itās incredibly important. Obviously, Iām biased, but there are so many specific legal pitfalls in personal injury lawāespecially with cases like trucking accidents, medical malpractice, or injuries involving police or security. Itās risky to hire a generalist.
I read about a case where someone with a permanent disability hired a business attorney they knew from church. That attorney didnāt disclose they had no experience with injury law. They missed the statute of limitations for filing the lawsuit, and the client lost the right to make a claim. Thatās devastatingāand irreversible.
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| 03:36 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Technically, people can represent themselves though, right?
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| 03:39 |
Jordan Jewkes: Yeah, technically you can pursue a claim on your own. But itās not recommended. I've had people call me after filing pro se and say, āI messed up, can you help me?ā And itās really hard to step in once mistakes have already been made.
We went to law school and trained for years to navigate this process. Thereās just too much complexity for most people to handle without legal help.
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| 05:10 |
Kevin Rosenquist: So letās say someone is vetting attorneysāwhat kinds of questions should they ask to assess experience and reliability?
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| 05:24 |
Jordan Jewkes: Great question. Some key ones would be:
- Have you handled cases like mine before?
- What results have you gotten in similar cases?
- How long will this take?
- Which county will we be filing in?
- Have you tried cases there before?
- How many of these cases are you currently handling?
Itās also important to know if the actual attorney will be involved in your caseānot just someone behind a social media brand. A lot of attorneys post flashy videos online, but youāve never actually spoken with them. That can be risky.
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| 06:42 |
Kevin Rosenquist: I canāt think of any other type of attorney you see advertised more than personal injury lawyers.
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| 06:47 |
Jordan Jewkes: Youāre exactly right. Billboards, radio, Instagramāsome attorneys are just nonstop advertisers. And thatās legal, and some are good attorneys. But clients need to ask themselves: do I want the biggest advertiser, or do I want the attorney with the best results and happiest clients?
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| 07:33 |
Kevin Rosenquist: What should clients understand about contingency fees and other costs?
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| 07:38 |
Jordan Jewkes: Contingency fees are standard in personal injury. The attorney only gets paid if the client wins or settles. Usually it's one-third of the recovery, plus expenses.
Youāve probably heard horror stories where the client got almost nothing after legal fees and medical bills. A good attorney will make sure the client walks away with money in their pocket and their bills paid. If a firm has a reputation for taking everything while the client gets nothingāthatās a huge red flag.
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| 08:54 |
Kevin Rosenquist: And as weāve discussed, injury compensation goes beyond medical billsāit includes lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
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| 09:00 |
Jordan Jewkes: Exactly. And before a case is settled, clients should knowāat least roughlyāhow much will go in their pocket and how much will go to medical bills and fees. A good attorney will also negotiate with doctors to reduce those bills when possible.
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| 09:41 |
Kevin Rosenquist: What other red flags should people watch for when choosing an attorney?
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| 09:53 |
Jordan Jewkes: Reviews are important. Check Google, Yelp, or other sources. Most people can tell the difference between fake and legitimate reviews.
Another big red flag is ultra-low fees. If a firm is offering 20% or 25%āway below the industry standardāit usually means youāre going to get less service. Running a good injury law firm takes resources. If someoneās charging well below average, itās likely their staff is underqualified and underpaidāand the quality of work will reflect that.
Itās like choosing a surgeonāyou donāt pick the cheapest one. You pick the best one and work out the cost if needed.
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| 11:30 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Yeah, if theyāre the cheapest, thereās usually a reason for that. And itās probably not a good one.
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| 11:38 |
Jordan Jewkes: Exactly. When people aren't fairly compensated, they donāt do their best work. And that shows in the service you get.
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| 12:01 |
Kevin Rosenquist: What are the advantages of hiring a local attorneyāsomeone who knows Georgia courts?
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| 12:08 |
Jordan Jewkes: Huge advantages. Local attorneys know the judges, know the courtrooms, and understand what juries in the area tend to do. That matters a lot.
Also, with a local attorney, you can walk into their office. If something goes wrong, theyāre accountable. You see them in the communityāin church, at schoolāyou know theyāre not disappearing on you.
And yeah, you can bring in a big-city attorney like My Cousin Vinnyāgreat movie by the wayābut if they donāt know the local rules or the jury pool, that can be a big disadvantage.
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| 13:17 |
Kevin Rosenquist: What are the biggest mistakes people make when choosing an attorney or starting a case?
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| 13:28 |
Jordan Jewkes: The biggest one is never talking to an actual attorney. Some firms are set up like mills where a low-level staffer pushes paperwork and you never speak to the person supposedly handling your case. Thatās a problem.
The person managing your case should be a licensed attorney. We regularly get calls from people whoāve been with a big firm for six months and havenāt spoken to a lawyer once. Thatās not okay.
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| 14:20 |
Kevin Rosenquist: At what point after an accident should someone reach out to an attorney?
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| 14:36 |
Jordan Jewkes: Itās never too soon. Obviously, get the medical care you need first. But once you know youāve been injured, contact an attorney as soon as you canāwithin a few days or a week. The sooner the better.
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| 15:00 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Alright, well thank you for joining us on Peachtree Injury Talk with Jordan Jewkes. To connect with Jordan and his team, visit jewkesfirm.com (https://www.jewkesfirm.com). Please like and subscribe to our channel, and leave us a reviewāwe always appreciate it. Jordan, always appreciate your time. Thanks so much.
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| 15:20 |
Jordan Jewkes: Thanks, Kevin.
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| 15:21 |
Narrator: Thanks for watching. Be sure to hit that like and subscribe button and leave us a review in the comments.
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