LAHAINA, Maui (KHON2) — While the community paused to remember the lives lost on this day two years ago, a key court hearing took place on Maui – one aimed at moving the massive settlement process forward.
Judge Peter Cahill opened the hearing with words for the victims of both the Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires, reminding everyone about the true reason for the work being done in the courtroom.
“Judge Cahill intentionally set this conference for today so that it could be a reminder for everybody on in terms of what we’re really all talking about. It’s not just about a lawsuit. It’s about people’s lives,” said Cynthia Wong, attorney for the plaintiffs.
A key motion was decided today – extending the statute of limitations for victims to file claims against the state of Hawaiʻi to match that with the other defendants.
“The judge approved the motion, and decided that the tolling for the state of Hawai’i would also be August 8, 2026, with the same conditions as the other defendants,” said Beth Nardi, attorney for the plaintiffs.
That extension, called a “tolling agreement”, gives victims more time, but only applies to those taking part in the individual settlement plan.
To qualify, victims must submit by October 1:
- A signed settlement agreement
- A claims questionnaire
- All supporting documents for their damages
The opt-out deadline for the class action is currently set for Oct. 7. Individual plaintiffs have until Nov. 8 to identify themselves to defendants for tolling purposes.
“The class action is really meant to have everybody else who’s not an individual plaintiff, and the class did not have to enter a tolling agreement, because they have different rules that apply, that allow them to be tolled,” explained Wong.
“I always try to reassure, you know, my clients and everyone, that even though it feels like nothing’s happening, there is a lot of moving parts behind the scenes, and we are really trying to do our best to move this forward as expeditiously and fairly as possible. There’s still victims and claimants in California who are still litigating issues from fires that happened, you know, almost 10 years ago,” said Nardi. “And that is just not a situation that any of us want to be in if we want to move our community forward.”
For Nardi, the day was both legal progress and personal reflection. She lost her home in the fire.
“Like everyone else, on August 8, it was just supposed to be another really windy day, and our lives were just totally upended,” said Nardi. “I was part of the evacuation, in addition to losing my home, and I consider myself one of the very lucky ones. I have friends and family who were also involved in the fire and just horrific experiences that I’ve heard from my clients as well.”
Attorneys urge anyone affected to pay close attention to the deadlines:
- Oct. 1, 2025 for the individual settlement fund
- Oct. 7, 2025 to opt out of the class action, and Nov. 8 for individual plaintiff identification.
- Nov. 8 for individual plaintiff identification.