--- title: "Garden Grove Personal Injury Attorney | Call Jacob" canonical: "https://www.calljacob.com/areas-we-serve/garden-grove-personal-injury-attorney/" description: "Hurt in Garden Grove? See which city intersections rank worst for severe crashes, who writes your report and your filing deadlines. Free consultation." --- # Garden Grove Personal Injury Attorney Orange County Severe-injury crashes on Garden Grove’s city streets more than doubled in five years, from **15 in 2016 to 36 in 2020**, while crashes that damaged only property fell from **1,100 to 674** ([City safety plan presentation](https://ggcity.org/records_request/requests/7561/correspondences/31673/download/LRSP_AGA_Presentation_at_Traffic_Commission_Mtg_3-1-22.pdf)). There were fewer collisions, and the ones that happened hurt people more. Below are seven questions about Garden Grove crashes, from Brookhurst Street speeding to OCTA bus claims, each answered the way a Garden Grove personal injury attorney would answer a new client, with the city’s own records. **Questions answered on this page** - [Which streets have the worst crash records?](#h-which-streets-have-the-worst-crash-records) - [Why are serious injuries going up?](#h-why-are-serious-injuries-going-up) - [Who writes the crash report?](#h-who-writes-the-crash-report) - [What if the driver fled or had been drinking?](#h-what-if-the-driver-fled-or-had-been-drinking) - [What should I collect right away?](#h-what-should-i-collect-right-away) - [Are people walking and cycling at greater risk?](#h-are-people-walking-and-cycling-at-greater-risk) - [How long do I have to file?](#h-how-long-do-i-have-to-file) ## Which streets have the worst crash records? In March 2022, the city presented a Local Road Safety Plan to its Traffic Commission ([LRSP](https://ggcity.org/records_request/requests/7561/correspondences/31673/download/LRSP_AGA_Presentation_at_Traffic_Commission_Mtg_3-1-22.pdf)). Its working group of engineers, police officers and traffic commissioners used SWITRS records for 2016 through 2020, left freeway crashes out, and scored each intersection by its severe and fatal collisions. The four at the top of the list: Rank Intersection History 1 Garden Grove Blvd & Nelson St Four severe crashes from 2018 to 2020, mostly people on foot or cars struck broadside, then a cyclist killed in March 2021 2 Garden Grove Blvd & Newland St Serious head-on, sideswipe and broadside collisions between 2017 and 2020, one with a drunk driver 3 Westminster Ave & Kerry St A pedestrian badly hurt in 2018, a rear-end crash that killed someone in 2019, a serious broadside in 2020 4 Euclid St & Chapman Ave Three deaths (2017, 2020, 2021) and 17 rear-end collisions Lampson Avenue at Haster Street is another location the plan singled out, with two fatal crashes in 2016 and 2017 and a severe head-on collision. The plan also counted unsafe-speed collisions street by street. Thirty streets had six or more in five years, and four stood well above the rest: **Brookhurst Street with 188**, **Garden Grove Boulevard with 170**, **Euclid Street with 142** and **Chapman Avenue with 139**. Harbor Boulevard, which runs past the Grove District hotels, recorded **91**. The engineers recommended specific changes at several of these spots: protected left-turn signals at Nelson and Newland, and removal of median trees at Newland that blocked drivers’ view of oncoming traffic. Those recommendations can matter to your case. When the City owns a street and its own engineers documented a hazard there, that history may support a claim that the road was in a dangerous condition. A ranked intersection is background, though; who ran the light at Newland on the day you were hurt is still proven with witnesses, video and the damage to the cars. ## Why are serious injuries going up? 2016–2020 Count Fatal 41 Severe injury 137 Other visible injury 675 Complaint of pain 1,471 Property damage only 4,645 Thirteen of the fatal collisions happened in 2016 alone, and the severe-injury count climbed almost every year before reaching **36** in 2020 ([LRSP](https://ggcity.org/records_request/requests/7561/correspondences/31673/download/LRSP_AGA_Presentation_at_Traffic_Commission_Mtg_3-1-22.pdf)). The plan does not name one cause, but its speed figures stand out: more than 600 unsafe-speed collisions on four arterials alone. At higher speeds, the same mistake causes far worse injuries. Rising severity changes how insurers behave. A broken pelvis from a Brookhurst Street broadside is worth far more than a dented bumper, so the carrier has more reason to argue that you were partly at fault or that you treated longer than necessary. Serious claims are rarely paid on the first request. **Worth knowing:** Garden Grove’s OTS ranking of 49th of 62 for all victims makes the city look safer than its peers. The LRSP’s severe-injury trend and its pedestrian and cyclist numbers point the other way, and those are the figures that matter most when an injury is serious. ## Who writes the crash report? Anything on Euclid, Lampson, Brookhurst or another surface street is investigated by the Garden Grove Police Department ([City of Garden Grove](https://ggcity.org/news/pedestrian-safety-month-2023)). The 22 is different. Freeway collisions belong to the Highway Patrol’s Westminster Area, headquartered at 13200 Goldenwest Street, whose patrol map takes in SR-22 together with I-5, I-405 and I-605 ([CHP](https://www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office/border-division/offices/%28670%29-westminster)). Serious freeway crashes do happen here, including an overnight collision on the 22 that killed two people ([FOX 11](https://foxla.com/news/2-killed-in-overnight-crash-on-22-freeway-in-garden-grove)). So a crash on the 22, however serious, will not show up in the state’s city rankings for Garden Grove, which count only collisions handled by city police. **Tip:** Look at the door of the patrol car. If it reads Garden Grove Police, ask the city for the report; if it is a CHP cruiser, the Westminster office keeps it. Asking the wrong one adds weeks. ## What if the driver fled or had been drinking? Sixty-four injury crashes in 2023 ended with a driver leaving the scene, and alcohol was a factor in crashes that killed or hurt 71 people. Garden Grove officers made 113 DUI arrests that year, which OTS ranks 6th of 62 on a scale where 1 means the fewest arrests for the population, so comparatively few impaired drivers were stopped before they hurt someone ([OTS 2023](https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings-results/?wpv-wpcf-year=2023&wpv-wpcf-city_county=Garden%20Grove)). A fleeing driver who is never caught leaves one realistic source of payment in most cases: the uninsured motorist (UM) coverage you bought for yourself. If police do find the driver and the driver was drunk, the criminal prosecution and your civil claim move on separate tracks. A conviction can help prove fault, but you do not need to wait for one. **Watch out:** Most auto policies require prompt notice of a hit-and-run to your own insurer, and many require a police report. Report it to Garden Grove Police and call your insurer within days, not weeks. ## More questions people ask ### The insurer says my injury is minor because I only reported pain. Does that hurt my claim? Not necessarily. Over five years, the city’s data recorded **1,471** collisions with a complaint of pain but no visible injury. Whiplash and back injuries often look like that at first. The insurer will look for a gap between the crash and your first doctor visit, so get evaluated promptly and keep every record that ties the neck or back pain to that day. ### I was visiting from out of state when I was hurt. Can I still bring a claim? Yes. The Grove District has 11 hotels about a mile from Disneyland ([City of Garden Grove](https://ggcity.org/visitors)), and many of the people hurt on Harbor Boulevard live elsewhere. The claim belongs where the collision happened, so California law applies and an Orange County court would hear any lawsuit. An Orange County personal injury attorney can handle much of the work by phone and email after you return home. ### A median tree blocked my view at the intersection. Can the City be responsible? Possibly. At Garden Grove Boulevard and Newland Street, the city’s own engineers recommended removing median trees that blocked sight lines. Because that theory targets the City itself, the six-month government-claim deadline applies, not the two-year rule. ### Does it matter that my crash happened at a location on the city’s safety list? It can help, because it shows the City knew the location had a history. It will not, by itself, establish that the other motorist was negligent or that a City design choice caused the collision at that corner. ### What does it cost to speak with a lawyer? Nothing up front. An auto accident attorney in Garden Grove from our firm will review the case at no charge, and our fee is a percentage of the recovery, owed only if there is one. ## What should I collect right away? - The incident number on the card the officer hands you - Photos of the signals, crosswalk, lane markings and any median trees or parked vehicles that blocked the view - Contact details for anyone who saw it, including people waiting at a Route 56 or Route 54 stop - The names of shops, motels or restaurants facing the scene that may have cameras; footage is often recorded over within days - Your emergency room discharge papers and every follow-up appointment - The other car’s insurance card, photographed, and a firm no to any recorded call from that company ## Are people walking and cycling at greater risk? Yes, compared with the rest of the city’s numbers. In the Office of Traffic Safety’s 2023 tables, Garden Grove is measured against the other Group B cities, 62 in all, and ranked 49th overall, safer than most. Its rankings for people on foot and on bicycles were considerably worse ([OTS 2023](https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings-results/?wpv-wpcf-year=2023&wpv-wpcf-city_county=Garden%20Grove)): Measure 2023 Rank Cyclists hurt or killed 47 18 Pedestrians hurt or killed 58 21 Cyclists under 15 5 21 Pedestrians 65 and over 7 23 Late-night crashes 78 24 Hit-and-run crashes 64 24 All victims 565 49 _Rank 1 is the worst of 62. Late-night means 9 p.m. to 3 a.m._ The city’s safety plan found **41** locations with severe or fatal pedestrian crashes between 2016 and 2020, many of them on Garden Grove Boulevard, Brookhurst Street, Chapman Avenue and Westminster Avenue. Garden Grove Boulevard also had the most bicycle collisions of any street, **29**, followed by Chapman (**26**), Euclid (**19**) and Brookhurst (**18**). At Chapman Avenue and Springdale Street, the working group recommended giving pedestrians a head start on the walk signal because so many students cross there. A driver who strikes someone in a Westminster Avenue crosswalk will often claim the person stepped out suddenly. A Garden Grove pedestrian accident lawyer usually settles that dispute with witnesses and storefront cameras, as our pages on [pedestrian accidents](https://www.calljacob.com/personal-injury/pedestrian-accidents/) and [bicycle accidents](https://www.calljacob.com/personal-injury/bicycle-accidents/) explain. ## What a Garden Grove personal injury attorney does We represent people hurt on Garden Grove’s arterials, from Brookhurst Street to the Harbor Boulevard hotel strip, and on the 22. On each case, our first requests are the Garden Grove Police or CHP Westminster report and any camera footage near the scene, and we check whether the location appears in the city’s safety plan. The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani (Call Jacob) also handles claims for Grove District hotel guests, including travelers who fly home before the case is finished. Our work in Garden Grove covers the collisions the city’s records describe: [car accident](https://www.calljacob.com/personal-injury/car-accidents/) claims on Brookhurst and Euclid, pedestrians and cyclists hit on Garden Grove Boulevard, hit-and-run and drunk-driving crashes, motorcycle and rideshare collisions, falls at hotels and stores, and wrongful death claims for families. If you need an injury lawyer in Garden Grove while you are still at UCI Medical Center in Orange, we can come to your bedside; if you are home, we can meet you there. A Garden Grove car accident lawyer at our firm can go over the police report with you. Phone **(888) 952-2952** any time, or send us the details through the [case evaluator](https://www.calljacob.com/case-evaluator/) form on our site. That first review is free. Should we accept the case, nothing is owed to us for our work unless the claim ends in a settlement or verdict in your favor. ## How long do I have to file? For a claim against the other motorist, California’s general deadline to sue is **two years** from the date of injury ([CCP §335.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=335.1)), which can pass quickly while you are still in physical therapy. Vehicle damage has a three-year limit, and different rules apply to children. Public agencies are treated differently. Before you can sue the City of Garden Grove or OCTA, [Government Code §911.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=911.2) requires a government claim filed with that agency within **six months**. That covers a pothole or broken signal on a city-maintained street, a crash with a city truck, and a collision with an OCTA bus. OCTA runs several routes through the city, including Route 56 on Garden Grove Boulevard, Route 54 on Chapman and the 543 Bravo! on Harbor ([OCTA](https://www.octa.net/pdf/OCTA%20Bus%20Routes.pdf)). California also lets you recover even if you were partly at fault. If a jury decided you were 30% to blame for turning left in front of a speeding car on Brookhurst, your award would be reduced by 30%, not erased ([CACI 405](https://www.justia.com/trials-litigation/docs/caci/400/405/)). If settlement talks fail and a lawsuit is needed, Garden Grove cases are generally filed in Santa Ana, at the Central Justice Center on the civic center grounds downtown ([court location](https://www.occourts.org/location/central-justice-center)). _We wrote this summary of Garden Grove’s LRSP, OTS rankings and California deadlines without seeing your claim, so treat it as general information and not as legal advice._ ## Sources 1. [LRSP presentation](https://ggcity.org/records_request/requests/7561/correspondences/31673/download/LRSP_AGA_Presentation_at_Traffic_Commission_Mtg_3-1-22.pdf) — City of Garden Grove 2. [OTS 2023 rankings](https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings-results/?wpv-wpcf-year=2023&wpv-wpcf-city_county=Garden%20Grove) — OTS 3. [Pedestrian Safety Month](https://ggcity.org/news/pedestrian-safety-month-2023) — City of Garden Grove 4. [Area 670](https://www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office/border-division/offices/%28670%29-westminster) — CHP 5. [22 Freeway crash](https://foxla.com/news/2-killed-in-overnight-crash-on-22-freeway-in-garden-grove) — FOX 11 6. [Bus routes](https://www.octa.net/pdf/OCTA%20Bus%20Routes.pdf) — OCTA 7. [CJC](https://www.occourts.org/location/central-justice-center) — Superior Court 8. [Visitors](https://ggcity.org/visitors) — City of Garden Grove 9. [CCP §335.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=335.1) — Legislature 10. [Gov. Code §911.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=911.2) — Legislature 11. [CACI 405](https://www.justia.com/trials-litigation/docs/caci/400/405/) — Justia ## 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) "After my accident, I called the office of Jacob Emrani because one of the people involved indicated that my car hit his car and I felt vulnerable. I was fortunate enough that it was Sally who answered the phone and who walked me through starting the process, but I had to wait until later that day to finish it. I was mentally rattled and she understood. She was so kind and helpful. So far, I am glad I called the office of Jacob Emrani." ![Google](/images/optimized/google-logo.png) "I am a client of Jacob’s. The service and communication has been amazing. It’s so amazing working with someone who is a Los Angeles legend and so honest in everything he does especially in this legal process. The service has been amazing and can’t thank his team enough. Thank you so much Wendy and the rest of his amazing staff. His office even gave me some merchandise which I was so appreciative of and couldn’t be more thankful. Thank you so much again. This team is amazing." ![Google](/images/optimized/google-logo.png) "I had a great experience with the Law Offices of Jacob Emrani my CM Tommy was great always on top of my case answering all of my questions and concerns. Truly recommend Jacob GO JACOB!!!! GO RAMS!!!!" [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.