Current:Home > MyParties in lawsuits seeking damages for Maui fires reach $4B global settlement, court filings say-VaTradeCoin
Parties in lawsuits seeking damages for Maui fires reach $4B global settlement, court filings say
lotradecoin partnership announcements View Date:2024-12-25 22:25:18
HONOLULU (AP) — The parties in lawsuits seeking damages for last year’s Maui wildfires have reached a $4 billion global settlement, a court filing said Friday, nearly one year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
The term sheet with details of the settlement is not publicly available, but the liaison attorneys filed a motion Friday saying the global settlement seeks to resolve all Maui fire claims for $4.037 billion. The motion asks the judge to order that insurers can’t separately go after the defendants to recoup money paid to policyholders.
“We’re under no illusions that this is going to make Maui whole,” Jake Lowenthal, a Maui attorney selected as one of four liaisons for the coordination of the cases, told The Associated Press. “We know for a fact that it’s not going to make up for what they lost.”
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a statement that seven defendants will pay the $4.037 billion to compensate those who have already brought claims for the Aug. 8, 2023, fires that killed 102 people and destroyed the historic downtown area of Lahaina on Maui.
Green said the proposed settlement is an agreement in principle. He said it was subject to the resolution of insurance companies’ claims that have already been paid for property loss and other damages.
Green said the settlement “will help our people heal.”
“My priority as governor was to expedite the agreement and to avoid protracted and painful lawsuits so as many resources as possible would go to those affected by the wildfires as quickly as possible,” he said in a statement.
He said it was unprecedented to settle lawsuits like this in only one year.
“It will be good that our people don’t have to wait to rebuild their lives as long as others have in many places that have suffered similar tragedies,” Green said.
Lowenthal noted there were “extenuating circumstances” that made lawyers worry the litigation would drag on for years.
Some lawyers involved have expressed concern about reaching a settlement before possible bankruptcy of Hawaiian Electric Company.
Now that a settlement has been reached, more work needs to be on next steps, like how to divvy up the amount.
“This is the first step to allowing the Maui fire victims to get compensation sooner than later,” Lowenthal said.
More than 600 lawsuits have been filed over the deaths and destruction caused by the fires, which burned thousands of homes and displaced 12,000 people. In the spring, a judge appointed mediators and ordered all parties to participate in settlement talks.
veryGood! (93)
Related
- GM to retreat from robotaxis and stop funding its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit
- Ravens offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris dies at 70 after battling 'acute illness'
- Why Brian Austin Green and Tori Spelling Didn't Speak for 18 Years
- Salma Hayek Shows Off “White Hair” in Sizzling Bikini Photo
- The brewing recovery in Western North Carolina
- Indianapolis man, 19, convicted of killing 3 young men found dead along a path
- Kamala Harris’ Favorability Is Sky High Among Young Voters in Battleground States
- A Florida man set to be executed this week appeals to the US Supreme Court for a stay
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Lights, camera, cars! Drive-in movie theaters are still rolling along
Ranking
- Through 'The Loss Mother's Stone,' mothers share their grief from losing a child to stillbirth
- What to know about the heavy exchange of fire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah
- Timeline of Gateway Church exodus, allegations following claims against Robert Morris
- Tennessee Republican leaders threaten to withhold funds as Memphis preps to put guns on the ballot
- The Voice Season 26 Crowns a New Winner
- In boosting clean energy in Minnesota, Walz lays foundation for climate influence if Harris wins
- Don't get tricked: How to check if your Social Security number was part of data breach
- Lake Mary, Florida, rallies to beat Taiwan 2-1 in 8 innings to win Little League World Series title
Recommendation
-
Drew Barrymore has been warned to 'back off' her guests after 'touchy' interviews
-
Former England national soccer coach Sven-Goran Eriksson dies at 76
-
US District Court Throws Out Federal Agency’s Assessment Allowing More Drilling for Fossil Fuels in the Gulf of Mexico
-
Emily in Paris Season 4’s Part 2 Trailer Teases New Love and More Drama Than Ever Before
-
Drew Barrymore Addresses Criticism Over Her Touchiness With Talk Show Guests
-
Manslaughter probe announced in Sicily yacht wreck that killed 7
-
'Ted Lasso' Season 4 may be happening at Apple TV+, reports say
-
Police officers are starting to use AI chatbots to write crime reports. Will they hold up in court?