Maui Fire Lawyers Help With Claims Against Utility Companies

Maui Fire Lawyers Help

For many of those whose lives were touched by the 2023 Maui wildfires, their losses were incalculable. Homes and businesses were destroyed, families lost their livelihoods and the lives of beloved pets and livestock were lost to the flames. Some residents and visitors were even forced to evacuate their homes and face relocation costs and long-term health risks due to the smoke and toxins that ravaged communities across the Island.

A lawsuit filed by Maui fire lawyers on behalf of the victims of the Maui wildfires alleges that the disaster could have been prevented if Hawaiian Electric – known as MECO – had shut off power lines during the high wind and fire warnings issued by the National Weather Service. The lawsuit alleges that MECO ignored warnings to deenergize the power lines and instead focused on restoring electricity to its customers.

According to the complaint, MECO has a “Public Safety Power Shutoff” program that is designed to prevent dangerous conditions that can damage equipment and lead to a fire. However, the company failed to implement the program during the high winds that were forecasted for the Lahaina area. The lawsuit states that this failure was a violation of its duty to ensure public safety and protect the environment, and it was a contributing cause to the fires that devastated West Maui and Lahaina.

Maui Fire Lawyers Help With Claims Against Utility Companies

MECO’s power lines sparked the fires after they came in contact with dry vegetation and downed in high winds. The company’s outdated wooden power poles were not able to withstand the high winds, and they had bare, uninsulated wires that ignited the dry grasses and fanned the flames into a destructive inferno. According to the lawsuit, this was a completely preventable tragedy that resulted in the death of a man and the destruction of thousands of homes and businesses in Lahaina and West Maui.

Hawaiian Electric fire lawyers

The lawsuit also alleges that MECO compromised the investigation of the fires by removing power poles, power lines and other equipment near the location where the Lahaina fires began. This may have violated national guidelines on how to handle and preserve evidence after a disaster like this.

In its response to the lawsuit, MECO argued that it had asked the law firm representing the victims to preserve evidence as early as August 10, but that third parties not under its control were destroying the materials and that the company’s priority was on ensuring first responders and displaced residents’ safety and restoring power to its customers.

If you are one of the countless victims whose lives and property were destroyed by the Maui fires, you deserve compensation for your losses. Contact our team today to see if you have a case against the companies responsible for the disaster. We will help you file a claim against the company or companies that caused your losses to recover the compensation you are entitled to under the law. Call us to schedule a free consultation with one of our Maui fire attorneys.