An aerial image taken on August 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii.  (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

TWO YEAR WILDFIRE ANNIVERSARY ALERT:  Attention Maui wildfire-impacted property owners. Disaster anniversaries can trigger deadlines that cut off your insurance benefits and legal rights.  There are two main things to think about: Your policy benefits and your ability to file a “bad faith” claim against an insurer that hasn’t treated you fairly.

We know that many of you are still working on replacing your homes and can’t replace all your personal property (contents) until you do.  As the two-year anniversary approaches, don’t leave insurance funds on the table or lose your ability to hold your insurer accountable in court due to an expiring deadline. If your policy provides Replacement Cost Benefits for your dwelling and/or personal property (contents) there may be a deadline for collecting those benefits. It may be the 2nd anniversary of your loss.  If  your insurer is withholding benefits until you submit proof that you’ve replaced your home and/or contents, but you’re not going to be able to do that before the deadline, you can customize and send them this sample letter requesting an extension.

In the State of Hawaii you have two years from the date of your loss to file a lawsuit against an insurance company if they have violated your rights and/or treated you unfairly. See HRS § 657-7.

Don’t wait until the August 7th anniversary of the tragedy to understand your options and get help. If you’re not sure whether your insurer has paid out all benefits you’re entitled to, or if there are unresolved issues related to your insurance claim,  Visit: Insurance Consumer Rights in Hawaii, and Supporters – Hawaii

The information in this library is brought to you by United Policyholders, a non-profit organization with three-plus decades of expertise in wildfire recovery, insurance, repairs and rebuilding. We offer reliable strategies, information and pearls of wisdom and support. We’re rooting for you and here to help. No strings attached. We offer honest, free and experienced guidance and links to reliable professional and government resources.

“Team UP ” (our staff, volunteers and partners) includes people who were born and raised on Maui, people who live and work on Maui, and people who’ve navigated recovering from a total or partial wildfire loss in the past.  We offer emotional support from people who genuinely care about helping you navigate successfully because they’ve “been there, done that” after past wildfires.  Our hearts and minds are with those who’ve been impacted by this horrific event.

If your property is damaged or was destroyed, through our Roadmap to Recovery^® program, you can access free, trustworthy help navigating the process of returning to a wildfire damaged area, repairing and replacing damaged and destroyed property, and collecting all available insurance funds. 

Below you will find shortcuts to items in our extensive library of resources that should be most useful and relevant to your current situation.

NOTE:  United Policyholders respects and protects the privacy of all who communicate with our organization.  We do not share or sell our mailing lists.