Settling before anyone knows what the injury is
The first offer usually arrives while you are still being assessed. That timing is deliberate: it is far cheaper to settle an injury before it has been properly diagnosed than afterwards.
ClaimMVA Now is a free attorney matching service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. Attorneys pay us to be connected with potential clients. Terms
There is a time limit on injury claims in Hawaii, and the insurance company knows exactly when it runs out. Answer five questions and we will connect you, free, with an independent attorney licensed in Hawaii.
Limited
Time to file most injury claims in Hawaii. Miss it and the claim is gone
Shorter
Government vehicle and public entity claims run on their own, tighter clock
Varies
Coverage carried by the at-fault driver is often well below the real cost
Modified
Hawaii follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar
This page describes Hawaii law in general terms only. It is not legal advice, deadlines and rules change, and exceptions apply. Confirm anything affecting your own claim with an attorney licensed in Hawaii.
The rule that shapes almost every Hawaii claim is modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar. Your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame, and disappears entirely once you are more than 50% responsible. That threshold is exactly why the other side’s adjuster works so hard to establish your share early.
Hawaii sets a strict limit on how long you have to bring a claim, with a far shorter period where a city, county or state vehicle is involved. Missing either generally ends the matter no matter how strong the case was.
What the at-fault driver carries is usually the practical ceiling on a claim, and state minimums do not survive contact with a hospital admission. Your own uninsured and underinsured coverage matters more than most people realise until they need it.
Hawaii is a no-fault state, so your own personal injury protection pays first and a claim against the other driver only opens once your injury clears the statutory threshold.
Oahu handles the overwhelming majority of claims, and heavy visitor and rental traffic means the applicable policy is often not the obvious one.
Where a case would be heard changes what it is worth. Insurers evaluate the same injury differently depending on the county, the bench and the jury pool, which is why an attorney who regularly works your part of Hawaii is worth more than one who does not.
Each one is common, and each one is avoidable.
The first offer usually arrives while you are still being assessed. That timing is deliberate: it is far cheaper to settle an injury before it has been properly diagnosed than afterwards.
Cross the halfway line and the claim ends rather than shrinks. Adjusters know exactly where that threshold sits, and casual remarks about speed or distance are how they get you there.
Claims involving a city, county or state vehicle run on their own much tighter clock. It is routinely missed by people who reasonably assumed the ordinary deadline applied.
Five questions from you. Everything after that is handled.
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There is a deadline, and a shorter one for government claims. Knowing which applies is the first thing an attorney establishes.
You are matched with an independent attorney licensed in Hawaii for your type of accident. We do not give legal advice or evaluate the claim ourselves.
The insurer deals with them from that point. You stop being the person who has to answer carefully worded questions.
Valuation waits for the medical record, because that record is what the claim is ultimately worth arguing from.
Fault is argued properly. Under modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar the percentage is not a detail, it is the outcome.
Contingency representation is standard for accident work in Hawaii, and our service is free to you throughout.
We match you with someone licensed in Hawaii who works your area.
Not on the list? We cover the whole state, including rural counties where fewer firms compete.
Hawaii sets a firm deadline running from the date of the accident, and a separate, considerably shorter one where a government vehicle or public entity is involved. Both are strict, and missing either generally ends the claim no matter how strong it was. An attorney can confirm which applies to your situation before anything expires.
Hawaii follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar. Your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame, and disappears entirely once you are more than 50% responsible. That threshold is exactly why the other side’s adjuster works so hard to establish your share early.
Recovery is reduced by your share of the blame and disappears once you are more than half responsible. Because that threshold is decisive, how fault gets apportioned matters more than people expect, and it is argued rather than simply assigned.
No. What generally matters is where the accident happened. If you were injured in Hawaii while passing through or visiting, an attorney licensed in Hawaii is usually the right fit, and handling a claim remotely is routine.
Possibly. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy may apply, including in hit-and-run cases where the driver was never identified. Many people do not realise they carry it.
Our service is free to you — attorneys pay us for the connection. Most Hawaii accident attorneys work on contingency, so their fee comes from any recovery rather than from you upfront. Confirm the arrangement directly before signing anything.
Free, about a minute, no obligation. We connect you with an independent attorney licensed in Hawaii.
ClaimMVA Now is a free matching service, not a law firm.