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Narrator: Welcome to Peachtree Injury Talk with attorney Jordan Jewkes.
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Kevin Rosenquist: Welcome to Peachtree Injury Talk with experienced attorney Jordan Jewkes. My name is Kevin Rosenquist, and today weāre going to talk about severe injuries that can result from car and truck accidents in Georgia. Jordan, great to see you.
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| 00:20 |
Jordan Jewkes: Hey, thanks for having me back, Kevin.
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| 00:22 |
Kevin Rosenquist: So can you describe some of the more common, severe injuries you encounter in car and trucking accidents on Georgia roadways?
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| 00:29 |
Jordan Jewkes: Yeah, this is a great topic, because what one person sees as severe might not seem that way to someone else. We've talked a bit in past episodes about spinal injuries, and they really run the full spectrum. Spinal injuries are both common and often among the most severeāeverything from a herniation to a ligament tear to a fractured vertebra or even nerve damage. These can cause chronic pain, immobility, and lifelong discomfort.
Another type of injury that's become much better understood over the past five to ten years is head injuries. They're tough because they can be difficult to diagnose, but theyāre among the most severe injuries we see. Literally mind-altering. Fortunately, the science and diagnostic tools are improving. So head and spine injuries are definitely the two most serious categories we deal with regularly.
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| 01:35 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Yeah, weāve talked before about how head injuriesāespecially in sports like footballāare getting more attention and are being taken more seriously. Would you say head injuries often have the most long-term impact on a victimās life?
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| 01:57 |
Jordan Jewkes: Very often, yes. A traumatic brain injury, by definition, means damage to brain cells. That can range from a mild concussion, which is basically a bruise to the brain, to severe traumaābleeding, skull fractures, permanent cognitive loss. The spectrum is broad. Sometimes people just have a lingering headache, and in other cases, they experience profound changesāthey canāt walk, canāt talk, and theyāre simply not the same person anymore.
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| 02:48 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Even the so-called āmildā brain injuries can be deceptively serious.
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| 02:57 |
Jordan Jewkes: You're exactly right. We have a case right nowācanāt share the detailsābut our client hit her head in a crash. It wasnāt a serious-looking wreck, and she never thought she had a brain injury. But here we are, three or four years later, and she still suffers from significantly reduced brain functionāmemory problems, difficulty with numbers and scheduling, trouble doing her job. Before the wreck, none of that was an issue.
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| 03:40 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Thatās a great pointājust because the car doesnāt look badly damaged doesnāt mean the person inside isnāt seriously injured.
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| 03:49 |
Jordan Jewkes: Exactly. Most serious scientists, engineers, and doctors will tell you: brain injuries can absolutely happen in low-impact crashes. Your brain is suspended in fluid, and when your head whips forward or backward, your brain can slam against the inside of your skullāeven if the car barely shows damage. Thereās solid, peer-reviewed medical literature supporting that now.
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| 04:33 |
Kevin Rosenquist: How do the severe injuries from trucking accidents compare to those from regular car accidents?
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| 04:38 |
Jordan Jewkes: Trucking accidents typically involve bigger, heavier, faster vehicles. That means more force, and more force usually means more damage. Brain injuries are common in truck wrecks for that reason. That said, you can still suffer a severe injury in a collision between two private vehicles. But statistically, truck accidents tend to produce more serious injuries, so weāre especially alert to that in those cases.
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| 05:14 |
Kevin Rosenquist: What about the impact of new safety technology like automatic braking systems and collision warnings? Are those helping reduce serious injuries?
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| 05:27 |
Jordan Jewkes: I wish I could say yes, but not so much. Iām all for safer vehicles, and we absolutely need continued progress in that areaāfor private vehicles and commercial trucks alike. But weāre not there yet. In a perfect world, weād have accident-proof vehicles and wouldnāt need lawyers or insurance anymore. Weāre not close to that yet, unfortunately.
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| 06:07 |
Kevin Rosenquist: What types of medical treatments are typically required for these kinds of severe injuries?
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| 06:13 |
Jordan Jewkes: There are a variety of specialists depending on the injury. For spinal injuries, orthopedists and neurosurgeons are usually the go-to experts. Theyāre best equipped to evaluate, treat, and give long-term prognoses.
For head injuries, neurologists are the specialists you want to see. Theyāre trained to diagnose and treat brain injuries and nerve-related conditions. Orthopedists focus on bones and joints, neurosurgeons on the spine and nervous system, and neurologists on brain and nerve function.
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| 07:12 |
Kevin Rosenquist: I think most people try to avoid going to the doctorāāIām fine, Iām fine.ā Have you seen cases where people wait too long and it ends up being serious?
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| 07:26 |
Jordan Jewkes: All the time. Itās human nature. We donāt want to appear weak or unhealthy, especially after something like a car wreck. We tell ourselvesāand our friends, family, even church groupsāthat weāre fine. But avoiding treatment doesnāt help. And the insurance companies love it when someone waits two, three, even four weeks to see a doctor. Theyāll use that delay against you, even though most of us avoid going just because we donāt want the expense or hassle.
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| 08:29 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Yeah, ER visits are expensive. Thatās a real concernāeven for people with insurance.
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| 08:45 |
Jordan Jewkes: Definitely. I remember from my own sports daysāif something hurt, unless it was obviously broken, you just pushed through. And that mindset carries over. But itās important to go get checked out, even if you think youāre okay. It could save you a lot of trouble later.
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| 09:26 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Can you walk us through what the rehab process looks like for these life-altering injuries?
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| 09:32 |
Jordan Jewkes: Sure. Letās take a herniated disc as an example. The spine is made up of vertebrae and discsāthose discs are like little cushions. Think of them like jelly donuts. If one herniates, that jelly leaks out. And just like squeezing toothpaste from a tube, it doesnāt go back in. It doesnāt heal itself. That means the damage is permanent, even if symptoms get better.
You may not feel constant pain, but the injury is still thereāand it makes you more vulnerable to re-injury in the future. Same goes for brain injuries. Even symptoms that seem to fade at firstālike headaches or forgetfulnessācan come back or linger indefinitely.
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| 12:02 |
Kevin Rosenquist: There are emotional and psychological impacts too, right?
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| 12:17 |
Jordan Jewkes: Without question. If youāre in constant pain, your sleep is affected, your thoughts are affected. Youāre more focused on surviving the day than engaging with your family. You become irritable, you withdraw, and youāre just not the same spouse or parent anymore.
And itās very hard to quantify that. Insurance companies always want documentationāāShow us proof that youāre moodier or quicker to anger.ā That kind of evidence is difficult to provide. But close friends, family, coworkersāthose are often the best sources. Theyāll say, āJordanās just not the same guy since the wreck.ā Or āKevin doesnāt laugh like he used to.ā That kind of testimony is incredibly powerful.
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| 14:38 |
Kevin Rosenquist: What legal challenges do victims face when trying to get compensation for more serious injuries?
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| 14:48 |
Jordan Jewkes: It often comes down to documentation. We need to show the insurance company evidence of the injury and its effects. Medical records are part of it, but we also gather statements from spouses, coworkers, friends, pastorsāanyone whoās seen the change. Documentation is key, and thatās one of the biggest parts of what we do.
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| 15:55 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Aside from documentation, how else does your firm help clients after a serious accident?
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| 16:04 |
Jordan Jewkes: Our first priority is helping people get the medical care they need. Money is important, but it wonāt restore your health. If you have a permanent brain or spine injury, no settlement is going to truly make that right. So we focus on helping people heal.
We also assist with work-related challenges. If someone canāt do their job anymore, that creates stress, anxiety, and financial pressure. We help guide them through that process and explore options for income replacement, benefits, or disability if needed.
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| 17:10 |
Kevin Rosenquist: Thanks for joining us today on Peachtree Injury Talk with experienced attorney Jordan Jewkes. If you'd like to get in touch with Jordan, his website is jewkesfirm.com (http://jewkesfirm.com).
Please like and subscribe to the channel to stay up to date on all things Georgia injury law. Jordan, thanks so much. Great talking to you.
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| 17:26 |
Jordan Jewkes: Thanks, Kevin. I enjoyed it.
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| 17:28 |
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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