Sign Up For a Million-Dollar Settlement
Maui fire lawyers have been vying for the attention of those whose homes and businesses were destroyed in last week’s blaze, seeking to sign them up for a share of what could be a multibillion-dollar legal settlement. But many survivors say the process feels like a sales pitch, with firms trying to win their business by offering high-end representation and promising a big payday.
A group of Maui fire lawyers, including Takatani Agaran Jorgensen and Wildman and Morgan & Morgan, organized a question-and-answer session in Kahului on Sunday that featured several attorneys from the big national firms. They aimed to sign up potential clients who could be part of a class action suit against Hawaiian Electric Co., a large state utility that faces allegations it failed to take preventive measures to protect the town of Lahaina from the deadly fires.
The fires are believed to have killed at least 115 people and destroyed more than 2,200 buildings, mainly in the centuries-old town of Lahaina. That makes it the most lethal natural disaster in Hawaii since a tsunami that struck in 1960, just a year after the state became a U.S. territory. It is also the deadliest occurrence of wildfires in the United States in more than a century.
Maui Fire Lawyers Trying to Get Their Clients to Sign Up For a Million-Dollar Settlement
It is not clear how the blaze started, but officials have said it was caused by humans and could be more destructive if it spreads to other parts of the island. They have been urging people to evacuate and stay alert, and they have urged residents to check the status of their properties.
Many of the power poles that came down during the fires were bare, uninsulated wires that would spark on contact. Videos and images analyzed by the AP show those wires lying in the charred grass and tangled with other downed lines. In contrast, some utilities in other fire-prone areas have buried or covered their lines in brush and other material.
In the midst of this devastating disaster, community members are gathering in their neighborhoods for food and support. They are reaching out to their neighbors through a wide network of social capital that includes family, church, schools and local organizations. People are relying on each other to find housing, help with cleanup and repairs, access psychosocial services and even take care of pets.
The state is warning property owners to be vigilant against real estate investors who may try to snatch up burned homes in Lahaina and other areas. Hawaii’s attorney general has urged them to report anyone who approaches them to police. She has called such behavior “despicable.” In some cases, the real estate investor is trying to buy property that has been declared a disaster site, and the law requires that all offers be made in writing. It is not yet known how long it will take for all the displaced homeowners to be able to return to their homes. In some cases, that could be months or years.