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Along with the initial fear and pain, being involved in a car accident can have long-lasting consequences. As an injured passenger, the situation can be quite stressful and potentially overwhelming. If you were injured in an accident as a passenger, you need to know where to turn and what your next steps are. Luckily, you don’t have to face this alone.

Traffic fatalities on the highways and roadways of Hawaii totaled 94 in 2021, up from 85 the year before, with the trend continuing into 2022 and on pace for about 120 highway deaths, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT).

No one expects to get involved in a collision with another vehicle, but accidents and injuries can happen. In Hawaii, which is a no-fault insurance state, you must first turn to your own insurer to recover for injuries, though the at-fault driver and their insurance plan will be responsible for any property damages. When you file your claim, your insurance company will assign a claims adjuster to your case, and your next phone call may be from that person.

Under Hawaii’s personal injury laws, individuals injured in car accidents may be entitled to recover damages through injury claims.

If you have been injured in an automobile accident, you might experience a great deal of stress and anxiety. The situation can become even more stressful when you start getting calls from an insurance adjuster.  However, before you pick up the phone and speak with an insurance adjuster, it is crucial to understand your rights and know what you should and should not say during the conversation.

If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you know what a stressful experience it can be, not only for you but for your loved ones as well. This is especially true if you’ve been injured. In Hawaii, there are an average of 416 accidents each year that result in serious injuries, according to the 2020 State Highway Safety Report. It can be difficult in the minutes, hours, and days following an accident to know exactly what you should be doing.

Every year, many people are injured or killed in hit-and-runs in Hawaii and across the United States. Statistics from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicate that there were about 737,100 hit-and-run crashes in the United States in 2015, causing 138,500 injuries and 1,819 fatalities.

The hours and days after an accident can be overwhelming. Many victims do not know what to expect following the accident.

There are three things we need to factor in to prove you have a viable personal injury case, negligence, causation, and damages. Negligence means the legal liability of the other side for their conduct. We need to show it was not just an accident, but it was due to something the other party did wrong.

Generally, a prior arrest it is not admissible as evidence. In other words, if they have a jury trial, the jury is not allowed, the state, or the prosecutor is not allowed to inform a jury or bringing evidence of the prior arrest or conviction.