Reputable Maui Fire Lawyer

A Maui fire lawyer can help a victim and their family navigate the complicated process of a wrongful death claim. They can also assist with a fire damage lawsuit against the responsible party. The best way to find a reputable attorney is to ask family and friends for recommendations. You can also look for attorneys who have been verified by an independent attorney rating service. Attorneys who have been verified have met stringent experience requirements. They have also passed a background check and are in good standing with the Hawaii bar association.

Maui fire lawyers have been seeking justice and compensation from HECO and other parties responsible for the Lahaina wildfires. Several lawsuits have already been filed against the electric utility company for its role in causing one of the deadliest wildfires in United States history. These lawsuits allege that HECO failed to take appropriate steps to prevent the fires and that it put profits ahead of consumer safety.

HECO’s failure to properly maintain its power lines and conduct routine inspections of its infrastructure contributed to the massive fires that swept through the oceanside town of Lahaina. The fires began when a downed power line ignited dry vegetation on the ground, sending thousands of volts of electricity into the air and causing an outage that spread the fire quickly.

How Do I Find a Reputable Maui Fire Lawyer?

The blaze was so fast and fierce that it burned homes and businesses to the ground and destroyed historic sites. The fires were also fueled by a hot, dry summer with high winds. Many of the structures in Lahaina were constructed with wood, a material that easily burns and can spark when it comes into contact with electricity.

Lawsuits filed against HECO claim that the fire could have been prevented if the company had followed an industry standard and shut off its power lines during high winds. This would have been easy to do since the National Weather Service had issued a high wind advisory days before the fires started.

sue Hawaiian Electric

Other lawsuits allege that HECO did not adequately warn consumers of the risks of living near its power lines or that the company ignored previous incidents where downed power lines caused wildfires in the past. The lawsuits also claim that HECO’s failure to maintain its infrastructure exacerbated the severity of the fires, as the old wooden power poles were unable to withstand 105-mile-per-hour winds and were not properly insulated.

The lawsuits seek unspecified damages for the loss of property and lives that were destroyed by the Maui fires. They also accuse the utility company of negligence, trespass, and nuisance and seek compensatory damages for the loss of value to the property. If victims can show that HECO operated like a governmental entity, they may be eligible for compensatory damages under a legal principle known as “inverse condemnation,” which allows private property owners to sue government agencies for damages when those agencies engage in wrongdoing. Mike Danko brings a wealth of litigation experience to the Malama Law Group, including representing clients injured in explosions and fires. He earned his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, magna cum laude, and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.