Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is representing victims of the Hawaii wildfires of August 2023.
Evidence exists which suggests that the fires were caused by equipment belonging to Hawaiian Electric. This evidence includes video, witness accounts, burn progression and utility equipment. There are photos and videos of downed power lines caused by heavy winds in Hawaii. There was a prominent grid fault which was detected about 20 minutes prior to a wildfire being reported. As of August 20, 2023, 114 people have been declared dead and around 1,300 people are still missing. 2,207 buildings have been reported as being destroyed by the fires.
Utility Hawaiian Electric had been warned about extreme fire risk conditions which were caused by hurricane-force winds and low humidity. The utility should have turned the power off in the areas where the wildfires hit, but chose not to. We will hold the utility responsible for this negligent decision.
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers are wildfire lawyers who represent wildfire victims on a contingency fee basis, meaning wildfire victims aren’t charged any fee until and unless we recover money to compensate them for their losses.
Call us now for a free case evaluation if you or a loved one experienced losses such as evacuation costs, property business, business damage, lost business, death or injury due to the Hawaii wildfires of August 2023. You might qualify for a financial recovery in a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric.
How Is Hawaiian Electric Possibly Liable?
Utility companies have a duty to operate and maintain their electrical equipment in a safe manner in order to prevent wildfires. A breach of this duty constitutes negligence. When negligence causes people to suffer financial losses, the negligent party is liable for those losses.
Hawaiian Electric Should Have Shut Off The Power, But Didn’t
Hawaiian Electric had plenty of warning that extremely dangerous, high fire risk conditions would exist on the day the Hawaii wildfires ultimately started on. However, despite those warnings, Hawaiian Electric chose not to shut off the power.
An August 4, 2023 National Weather Service warning stated that “high fire danger” conditions would exist, including dry weather and strong winds.
An August 6, 2023 National Weather Service warning stated that high winds could create a “serious” fire threat, and that Hurricane Dora threatened “fire weather” during the period of time between August 7 and August 9 because of dry conditions.
On August 7, 2023, a high wind watch and a fire warning were issued in Hawaii by the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service warned that power lines might be blown down by high winds, and that if this led to wildfires, those fires would likely spread very rapidly.
A high wind warning and a red flag warning were issued by the National Weather Service on August 8, 2023 in Hawaii. These warnings stated that the winds might reach 60 MPH and stated that the danger of fire was “high.” The National Weather Service issues red flag warnings when weather conditions are “critical” and involve substantial risk regarding “extreme fire behavior” because of low humidity, strong winds and high temperature.
Hawaiian Electric was warned that high winds could blow over its power lines. Hawaiian Electric was warned that if this led to fires, the fires would probably spread extremely quickly due to the weather conditions. Hawaiian Electric still negligently chose not to shut the power off.
Hawaiian Electric’s Equipment Was Negligently Designed And Maintained
Lawsuits allege that Hawaiian Electric and its equipment had a lot of problems, including:
- Its equipment passed electricity through exposed lines in vegetated areas
- The utility deferred maintenance
- The utility’s infrastructure was aging
- The utility failed to ensure its power lines had enough tension to prevent them from sagging, which has been proven to cause wildfires
- The utility failed to manage vegetation adequately to prevent power lines from contacting trees when winds were high
- The utility knew that shutting the power lines down was an effective way to prevent fires, yet chose not to do it anyways
Lawsuits claim the utility’s infrastructure was configured to keep the power on for too long after a transmission line fails, letting fires start. Lawsuits claim Hawaiian Electric could have made sure these devices were designed to turn the power off more quickly, but didn’t because of the cost and how long it would take to implement.
Lawsuits claim the utility’s lines were uninsulated, bare or uncovered while they carried high voltage electricity.
Lawsuits claim Hawaiian Electric’s lines hung over dry, overgrown vegetation, and that the utility failed to remove vegetation from near its power lines or underground its power lines.
Lawsuits claim Hawaiian Electric’s lines were configured to turn back on too fast after they were turned off.
Lawsuits claim Hawaiian Electric didn’t adequately maintain its lines or the vegetation surround them, letting its equipment age and deteriorate.
Proving Hawaiian Electric’s Liability
It is extremely heartbreaking to see a whole town be burned down. Unfortunately, we’re all facing this grim reality now. We’re strong, though, and we’re going to make it through this. Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers stands by the survivors of the Hawaii wildfires as we all rebuild and grieve. Local efforts to recover from the wildfires are underway. However, it will take a while for rescue efforts to finish and for us to understand exactly what the total damages were.
If you suffered injuries or losses because of the Hawaii wildfires and you want to file a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric, we are here to help. However, you’re going to need to prove that Hawaiian Electric was responsible. Doing so can be very complicated. There are steps to take in order to give yourself the best chance to recover damages by proving your case:
- Collecting evidence: Collecting evidence is possibly the most important thing to do in a lawsuit like this. We can assist you by ensuring you have any and all evidence necessary for your case and that it’s organized well.
- Investigating: It is critical to engage experts’ help. Experts will play an important role regarding proving your case. Fire investigators can assist in proving Hawaiian Electric’s liability by performing an analysis of the scene and figuring out the fire’s possible source. The assessments of experts are important regarding providing insight regarding the outcome of a Hawaiian Electric lawsuit.
- Knowing laws and regulations: It’s important to know how state and local laws about wildfire liability apply to your case. This may include laws regarding land management, fire prevention and negligence.
- Establishing causation: One critical thing in filing a successful lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric is establishing that Hawaiian Electric’s failure to act or actions substantially caused or caused the spread of the Hawaiian wildfires.
Compensation Available In A Hawaiian Electric Lawsuit
If you had your home destroyed or damaged by the August 2023 Hawaii wildfires, you deserve financial compensation. This compensation might come from any homeowners’ insurance you have. It might also come from a lawsuit filed against Hawaiian Electric.
Compensation From Homeowners’ Insurance
If you are a homeowner your insurance should cover:
- Repair or replacement of home
- Replacement of possessions and furnishings
- Replacement of fences and outbuildings
- Lodging costs caused by having to live outside your home
The sad reality is, however, that a lot of insurance companies won’t cover damages like these when they should. Insurance companies will often rely on obscure clauses in complex contracts to avoid payment. They will also often underestimate the costs of repairing or replacing your home.
Our Hawaii fire attorneys are dedicated to assisting you in recovering the largest possible financial recovery from your insurance. If you’re filing a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric, we’ll assist you in filing your insurance claim and make sure you’re paid what you deserve by your insurance company. We will do this for you without charging you extra.
We can also assist in filing a bad faith lawsuit against your insurance company if the company refuses to pay you what you deserve.
Compensation From A Hawaiian Electric Lawsuit
All of your damages won’t be covered by your insurance. If you lost your home to the Hawaii wildfires, your losses will likely extend well past your possessions and your home’s physical structure.
- You might have to live in another community
- You might not be able to work because of injuries
- Your workplace might have been destroyed by the fire
- You or your family could have suffered from emotional trauma because of the fire
- You could have been injured and those injuries could have needed medical treatment
- You could have lost valuables which insurance won’t cover
A lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric can assist you in recovering these damages so you can get your life back on track. You can receive a substantial amount of compensation for these damages. Our lawyers have helped our clients recover seven-digit recoveries after wildfires. The amount of money you recover can vary depending on your losses and their present and future impact.
If you call our Hawaii Fire lawyers, we’ll give you a free consultation and figure out how much financial compensation you’ll be eligible for based upon the circumstances of your case. You may be able to recover compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Loss of earning capacity
- Loss of wages
- Property damage
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Inconvenience
- Loss of society
You could also qualify for punitive damages if Hawaiian Electric is found to be grossly negligent in an investigation.
Wrongful Death Compensation
If you lost a loved one in the Hawaii wildfires, our experienced, understanding Hawaii wildfire lawyers can assist you in recovering compensation by filing a wrongful death claim. You may qualify for compensation for:
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of affection and love
- Loss of marital care
- Loss of comfort
- Loss of education, training and parental guidance
- Loss of protection
- Lost inheritance
- Loss of income
- Funeral expenses
- Burial expenses
- Medical bills
- Other financial losses
When we calculate the damages available, the deceased’s lost income will be based on their earning potential for the rest of their life if they survived. This can result in large damages awards, in addition to any damage awards recovered for emotional losses.
Those eligible for wrongful death damages include dependents, parents, children, reciprocal beneficiaries and spouses.
How Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers has a long, well-established track record regarding representation of wildfire victims. We have recovered over 0,000,000 for clients since 1990. We commit ourselves to help victims of the Hawaiian wildfires navigate the legal system while recovering from the wildfires.
If you were impacted by the Hawaii wildfires, you might qualify for compensation. Our wildfire lawyers will work to:
- Investigate the wildfires’ causes: People are already investigating the origin and cause of the Hawaii wildfires. Numerous residents reported that it’s apparent that the fires were started because of badly maintained vegetation near power lines, but it will take time to determine the specific origin and cause of each wildfire.
- Evaluate damages: The damages caused by a wildfire can range from death and personal injury, to economic damages like property damage and medical bills, to emotional suffering caused by the loss of a home. Your losses and experience are unique and our lawyers will work together with you in order to understand and evaluate your damages’ full nature.
- Pursue accountability: There are likely numerous factors which contributed to the Hawaii wildfires. If it’s determined by investigations that the inadequate safety measures or negligence of Hawaiian Electric contributed to or caused the wildfires, we’ll aggressively look to hold the utility liabile.
- Maximize your financial recovery: Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers believes in the concept that the recovery for our client can be maximized by a willingness – and the ability – to pursue their case to trial. We believe in the juries in Hawaii.
Call us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one were impacted by the wildfires in Hawaii. Remember, we will not charge any fee until or unless we recover financial compensation for you. Call us now.
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