Hawaii Car Accident Law

Hawaii Car Accident Fault

Hawaii has adopted the Proportional Comparative Fault at 51% standard of negligence. Proportional Comparative Fault at 51% means that if the injured party is 51% or more at fault in the car accident, he is absolutely barred from recovery for the other driver’s negligence.

HAWAII CAR INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITS

Hawaii Bodily Injury Liability Minimum Coverage

Personal Injury (single passenger): $20,000 in coverage for injury to an individual.

Personal Injury (multiple passengers): $40,000 in coverage for the driver and passengers in the car at the time of the accident.

Property Damage: $10,000 of minimum coverage.

Hawaii Small Claims Limit: Car accident claims under $3,500 should be filed in the Small Claims Court.

Hawaii Personal Injury Statute of Limitations: The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Hawaii is 2 years from the date the injury occurred, or the time the injury was discovered if it could not have been immediately discovered.

Hawaii Statutes Online: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1 et seq (Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury); Haw. Rev. Stat. Chapter 287 (Insurance Requirements); Haw. Rev. Stat. § Title 34, Ch. 633 (Small Claims Limits).

HAWAII CAR ACCIDENT REPORTS

Hawaii Police Reports: You can request a copy of a Traffic Accident Report by contacting the police department that investigated the car accident.

DMV: Hawaii does not have a centralized Department of Motor Vehicles. If the car accident results in more than $3,000 in damages, injury or death, report the car accident to the police in the county where the accident occurred.

Insurance Notification: You should promptly notify your auto insurance company of a car accident. Additionally, your auto insurance company may have specific notification requirements, so you should check your insurance policy for these notice requirements.