--- title: "Bell Gardens Personal Injury Attorney | Call Jacob" canonical: "https://www.calljacob.com/areas-we-serve/bell-gardens-personal-injury-attorney/" description: "Hurt in Bell Gardens? See who is injured most often, from pedestrians on Gage Avenue to teen cyclists and riders, and what a claim needs. Free consultation." --- # Bell Gardens Personal Injury Attorney Los Angeles County **Where Bell Gardens placed in 2023** ([OTS](https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings-results/?wpv-wpcf-year=2023&wpv-wpcf-city_county=Bell%20Gardens)) - **219** people killed or injured: 8th of 93 - Motorcyclists: 5th - Bicyclists: 9th - After-dark crashes and hit-and-runs: 9th each - Pedestrians: 11th Bell Gardens covers about 2.46 square miles, yet in 2023 it had one of the highest injury counts of any California city its size. Those injuries did not fall evenly. They concentrated among people walking on Gage and Florence Avenues, teenagers on bicycles, motorcyclists, and anyone on the road late at night. For a Bell Gardens personal injury attorney, the most useful thing this page can do is show, group by group, where the public data puts the danger and what each group’s claim depends on. Its **37,367** residents (a mid-2025 [Census](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025.csv) estimate) are young: the 2020 count put the median age at 31.9, and 96.2% identified as Latino ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Gardens,_California)). ## Crosswalk injuries on Gage and Florence In 2023, UC Berkeley’s Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) studied five years of state collision records for Bell Gardens as part of a community pedestrian and bicycle safety training ([SafeTREC](https://safetrec.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/bell_gardens_report_fy23_final_090823.pdf)). Across 2017 to 2021 it counted **90** pedestrian victims, from **86** separate crashes. Five of them died; ten more were left with serious injuries. Street Pedestrian crashes, 2017–2021 Gage Avenue 17 Florence Avenue 14 Eastern Avenue 13 Gage Avenue, Jaboneria Road and Garfield Avenue also stood out for clusters of fatal or severe pedestrian crashes. The researchers extended their study area west across the Los Angeles River so that crashes on the Gage, Florence and Clara Street bridges would be counted. Three findings from that report shape how a pedestrian claim here is built: - **Crosswalks.** Nearly four in ten (39.5%) were blamed on a driver who did not yield at a crosswalk. That violation sits with the driver’s insurer, and the paint, the signal timing and the view from the driver’s seat at that corner become the evidence. - **Evening hours.** Pedestrian crashes peaked between 6 and 9 in the evening, as commuters head home and the light fades. Photographs taken at the same hour as the crash show what the driver could and could not see. - **Young and old victims.** The most common victim age was 15 to 24, and children 16 and under (19 victims) and adults 65 and older (12) made up a large share. The state’s 2023 figures continue the pattern, with **19** pedestrian victims in Bell Gardens, 11th of 93 ([OTS](https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings-results/?wpv-wpcf-year=2023&wpv-wpcf-city_county=Bell%20Gardens)). If the driver claims the person darted out between parked cars on Florence, our [pedestrian accident page](https://www.calljacob.com/personal-injury/pedestrian-accidents/) covers how a jury splits fault in that dispute. ## Teen cyclists after school Bicycle riders fared little better in the SafeTREC data: **53** hurt over the same five years, one fatally and three seriously. The streets with the most bicycle crashes were: - Eastern Avenue, 11 - Florence Avenue, 8 - Garfield Avenue and Clara Street, 6 each Crashes peaked from 3 to 6 in the afternoon, the hours after school lets out, and the largest age group was 15 to 24, five of them only 15 or 16. The 2023 state numbers kept Bell Gardens near the top: 17 cyclist victims, 9th of 93, with three children under 15 among them (12th). For a teenager hurt on Eastern Avenue, the claim is brought by a parent, and a judge must sign off on any settlement before money changes hands. The deadline for a minor runs longer than an adult’s, but nearby cameras, witnesses at the bus stop and the bicycle itself should be preserved now. Our [bicycle accident page](https://www.calljacob.com/personal-injury/bicycle-accidents/) goes into how a driver’s “I never saw him” defense is tested. **Tip:** Leave the bent wheel and cracked helmet unrepaired in a garage or closet until the claim is resolved. ## Four questions about Bell Gardens claims ### My son was hit on his bike on Eastern Avenue after school. Who pays for his treatment? When the driver is at fault, his medical bills belong to that driver’s liability carrier. Until it pays, your health plan or the medical payments coverage on your own auto policy can cover the bills and is repaid from the settlement. ### My mother was struck in a crosswalk on Gage Avenue. Does it matter that it was dark? Darkness does not excuse a driver who fails to yield in a crosswalk. It does make the lighting, the driver’s speed and what the driver could see important, so photographs of the corner at the same hour help. ### A car hit me near Florence Avenue and kept going. Is there any insurance to claim against? Often, yes. If Bell Gardens detectives identify the car and its owner, that owner’s insurer is where the claim goes. If the car is never found, you turn to the uninsured motorist coverage in your own policy, and that insurer will ask when you called the police. ### Do I need a lawyer who speaks Spanish? Not necessarily, but you should be able to talk about your injuries in the language you are most comfortable with. Our office works in Spanish, and [calljacob.com/es](https://www.calljacob.com/es/) is written for Spanish-speaking families. ## Late-night crashes and drivers who leave Late night is one of Bell Gardens’ worst-ranked categories. The 9-at-night to 3-in-the-morning window produced **25** of the city’s 2023 injury crashes. With 23 hit-and-run injury crashes, Bell Gardens again placed 9th ([OTS](https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings-results/?wpv-wpcf-year=2023&wpv-wpcf-city_county=Bell%20Gardens)). Alcohol was a factor for **23** victims, 20th of 93; nearly half of those cases involved a young adult behind the wheel who had been drinking. The city keeps late hours. The Bicycle Hotel & Casino, one of the largest poker rooms in the world, operates around the clock, and Bell Gardens is one of only six Los Angeles County cities that permit casino gambling ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Gardens,_California)). Traffic does not stop at midnight here. **Watch out:** Call Bell Gardens PD from the scene of a hit-and-run if you can, because your own insurer will look for that report before paying. The casino, gas stations and storefronts along Florence and Eastern record over their video on a cycle, often within days. Punitive damages are sometimes available against a drunk driver, on top of compensation for the injuries. A bar or host who served the alcohol, by contrast, is shielded from liability under California law except in narrow situations involving minors. ## Motorcyclists Eighteen riders went down on Bell Gardens streets in 2023, a count that only four cities in its 93-city group exceeded ([OTS](https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings-results/?wpv-wpcf-year=2023&wpv-wpcf-city_county=Bell%20Gardens)). The defense in these cases is predictable: speed, or a rider the driver says came out of nowhere. The answer usually comes from physical evidence, such as where the bike came to rest, the damage pattern on both vehicles and whether the driver was turning left across the rider’s path. A rider with serious injuries should also look at the underinsured motorist limit on his or her own policy, because the driver at fault may carry only the legal minimum. ## Six months, two years and the city Claim against Deadline Driver 2 years The city 6 months Car repairs 3 years The two-year period for injury lawsuits comes from [CCP §335.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=335.1); the six-month rule for presenting a written claim to the city, when a city vehicle or a street condition played a part, comes from [Gov. Code §911.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=911.2). Bell Gardens Public Works has already reviewed the sight distance and crash history at Florence Avenue and Toler Avenue at the police department’s request ([City of Bell Gardens](https://bellgardens.org/home/showpublisheddocument/6932/638260734479400000)). A review like that does not prove a dangerous condition, but it is the kind of public record a claim against the city should start with. Crossing Gage mid-block does not end a pedestrian’s case; a jury that found the walker 25% responsible would cut the award by a quarter ([CACI 405](https://www.justia.com/trials-litigation/docs/caci/400/405/)). Litigation, if it comes to that, belongs to the Superior Court district that covers the Bell Gardens crash site, and we confirm the courthouse with the court’s address locator before filing ([LASC General Order](https://lascpubstorage.blob.core.windows.net/cpw/LIBOPSCivil-119-GeneralOrderReAssignmentandTransferofPersonalInjuryCases%28EffectiveMay17,2024%29.pdf)). ## Before you leave the scene - Call 911. On a Bell Gardens street, the city’s own police department responds ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Gardens,_California)). - Photograph the officer’s business card, front and back. - On the river crossings, note whether you were on the Gage, Florence or Clara Street bridge. - Ask the paramedics where they are taking you, and tell family; Level I care is at Los Angeles General Medical Center, and Lynwood has a Level II center ([EMSA](https://emsa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/71/2025/08/California-Designated-ACS-Verified-Trauma-Centers-8.22.25.pdf)). - Send a written request to nearby businesses, including the casino if it faces the street, to keep video from that hour. - Let the other driver’s adjuster wait; you are not obligated to be recorded. ## Our Bell Gardens practice We represent people hurt on the four corridors SafeTREC flagged in Bell Gardens, and on the river bridges at Gage, Florence and Clara Street. Our first requests on a Bell Gardens case go to the city’s police department for the collision report and to Public Works for any traffic review, like the one done at Florence and Toler. Here is the range of claims Call Jacob handles for Bell Gardens clients: - pedestrian claims from the Gage and Florence crosswalks - bicycle claims for teenagers hit on Eastern - [car accident](https://www.calljacob.com/personal-injury/car-accidents/) and motorcycle claims on Florence and Garfield - hit-and-run and drunk-driving crashes from the late-night hours - truck collisions and slip-and-fall injuries - wrongful death claims for families If a city vehicle or a city street is part of the story, our office files the six-month claim with the City of Bell Gardens. You owe us nothing for the consultation, and nothing at all if the case is lost. Phone **(888) 952-2952**. Prefer writing? The online [case evaluator](https://www.calljacob.com/case-evaluator/) takes your account of the Gage, Florence or Eastern crash. If getting to an appointment is hard right now, tell us; we schedule meetings at clients’ homes and hospital rooms. _The SafeTREC and OTS figures describe Bell Gardens as a whole, not any single crash, and nothing on this page is legal advice._ ## Sources 1. [Bell Gardens 2023](https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings-results/?wpv-wpcf-year=2023&wpv-wpcf-city_county=Bell%20Gardens) — OTS 2. [V2025 estimates](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025.csv) — Census Bureau 3. [Bell Gardens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Gardens,_California) — Wikipedia 4. [CPBST report, 2023](https://safetrec.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/bell_gardens_report_fy23_final_090823.pdf) — UC Berkeley SafeTREC 5. [Trauma centers 2025](https://emsa.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/71/2025/08/California-Designated-ACS-Verified-Trauma-Centers-8.22.25.pdf) — EMSA 6. [Florence and Toler review](https://bellgardens.org/home/showpublisheddocument/6932/638260734479400000) — City of Bell Gardens 7. [CCP §335.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=335.1) — Legislature 8. [Gov. Code §911.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=911.2) — Legislature 9. [CACI 405](https://www.justia.com/trials-litigation/docs/caci/400/405/) — Justia 10. [2024-GEN-003-00](https://lascpubstorage.blob.core.windows.net/cpw/LIBOPSCivil-119-GeneralOrderReAssignmentandTransferofPersonalInjuryCases%28EffectiveMay17,2024%29.pdf) — LASC ## Find Out How Much Your Case Is Worth Complete the form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. ## What Our Clients Say ![Google](/images/optimized/google-logo.png) "Nothing but positivity when dealing with Mr Jacob and his staff. A woman by the name Ana was always in communication and would get back to me in a timely manner if i needed to ask a question. Very professional and great people to deal with!" ![Google](/images/optimized/google-logo.png) "The first day I went in I met Aracele, she was really patient with me and very soft spoken. She made me feel I was in good hands. I’m glad I drove to Los Angeles so I could know these people were real and they are. I also spoke with Aben who is part of the team, he was also very understanding . I look forward to meeting Sally too. They all made me feel that I came to the right place! Darlene" ![Google](/images/optimized/google-logo.png) "The law offices of Jacob Emrani has been amazing. Jacob is so kind and amazing at what he does. His office is so kind and truly value customer service. I’m happy with the process and the amount in my settlement. Thank you so much Jacob! Thank you Wendy! Thank you Joshua as well! I appreciate all of the help and consideration. You made me feel like family!" [See All 556+ Reviews →](/reviews/) ## Injured? Talk to Jacob 24/7 [Get Your Free Consultation](/contact-us/) ## Explore Our Practice Areas [ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-02-simple-black-outline-drawing-of-a-bicycle-on-a-light-gray-ba.webp) ### Bicycle Accidents ](/personal-injury/bicycle-accidents/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-03-simple-black-and-white-line-drawing-of-a-bus-shown-from-the-.webp) ### Bus Accidents ](/personal-injury/bus-accident/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-04-line-drawing-of-a-truck-and-a-car-colliding-head-on-with-imp.webp) ### Car Accidents ](/personal-injury/car-accidents/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-05-line-drawing-of-a-laptop-with-a-cracked-screen-showing-jagge.webp) ### Defective Products ](/personal-injury/defective-products/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-06-a-stick-figure-person-possibly-a-personal-injury-attorney-st.webp) ### Dog Bites ](/personal-injury/animal-attacks/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-07-black-and-white-line-drawing-of-an-electric-scooter-with-a-l.webp) ### Electric Scooter ](/personal-injury/electric-scooter-accidents/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/icons/lemon-law-vehicle-icon.svg) ### Lemon Law ](/practice-areas/lemon-law/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-08-black-and-white-line-drawing-of-a-sport-motorcycle-shown-fro.webp) ### Motorcycle Accidents ](/personal-injury/motorcycle-accidents/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-09-line-drawing-of-a-person-standing-next-to-a-traffic-light-wi.webp) ### Pedestrian Accidents ](/personal-injury/pedestrian-accidents/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-10-line-drawing-of-a-person-with-closed-eyes-and-multiple-spots.webp) ### Premises Liability ](/personal-injury/premises-liability/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-11-line-drawing-of-a-smartphone-displaying-an-image-of-a-car-on.webp) ### Rideshare Accidents ](/personal-injury/rideshare-accidents/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-12-black-and-white-line-drawing-of-a-semi-truck-with-a-large-re.webp) ### Truck Accidents ](/personal-injury/truck-accidents/)[ ![](/images/practice-areas/en/slip-fall-13-black-and-white-icon-of-an-envelope-with-a-dollar-bill-insid.webp) ### Workers Compensation ](/personal-injury/workers-compensation/) ## We get results for our clients ### $6,000,000 #### Auto Accident An auto accident is a collision between two or more vehicles on the road, which can result in property damage, personal injury, or death. ### $4,000,000 #### Truck Accident A truck accident refers to an incident involving a large commercial truck or 18-wheeler, which can result in significant damage and serious injuries. ### $2,000,000 #### Pedestrian Accident A pedestrian accident is an incident where a person walking on foot is hit by a vehicle, which can result in serious injuries or death. ### $1,500,000 #### Medical Malpractice Medical malpractice refers to a failure by a medical professional to follow accepted standards of care, which can result in harm to a patient.