Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman Archives | Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman LLP

Lax Safety by Uber, Lyft Puts Rideshare Passengers at Risk

Posted on March 25, 2025May 19, 2025 by Candice Paddock

In Hawai’i and across the U.S., Uber and Lyft are facing a growing outcry for their failures to protect passengers from driver harassment and sexual assault.

Rideshare companies are being hit with lawsuits from passengers raising serious concerns about their safety precautions and driver screening processes. Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman filed the first such lawsuit in Hawai’i.

“Rideshare companies have failed to take even the most fundamental steps to protect passengers. The reason is simple: these companies are placing profit over passenger safety,” said firm co-founder Ilana Waxman.

According to the lawsuits, the companies have neglected to conduct thorough background checks on drivers and ignored previous complaints of driver misconduct. Many victims alleging sexual assault also claim that the rideshare companies failed to implement sufficient safety measures to ensure that passengers are protected.

Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman Virtual Roundtable Q&A: Women in Law

Posted on March 11, 2025May 19, 2025 by Candice Paddock

Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration with a 1987 presidential proclamation. The law passed by Congress marked the month of March with observances to honor the achievements of American women in a variety of fields, including the law.

This year, we are celebrating Women’s History Month with a virtual roundtable of female attorneys at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman discussing their experiences in the field of law. This year, attorneys that work in a variety of practice areas in our firm shared their insights. Participants included Allison Aoki and Victoria Chang.

Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Alyssa Segawa

Posted on March 11, 2025May 19, 2025 by Candice Paddock

Alyssa R. Segawa is a native of Honolulu and a partner at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. Alyssa’s practice concentrates on asbestos litigation, personal injury, product liability, Roundup litigation, appellate and federal practice matters. She has a particular interest in helping victims of mesothelioma seek justice through the legal system.

When Alyssa was 16, her grandfather, a retired pipefitter at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, passed away from mesothelioma. She knows what the families of the Galiher firm’s clients are going through and works hard to make sure that they can enjoy their time with loved ones.

Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Ilana Waxman

Posted on March 11, 2025May 16, 2025 by Candice Paddock

Ilana Waxman is the managing partner of Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. Ilana focuses her practices on toxic exposure cases, particularly for clients with mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases. She also represents the families of children born with birth defects due to chemical exposures, Hawai’i residents suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma as a result of Roundup exposure, survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and other catastrophic injury cases.

Ilana works every day to hold corporations and insurance companies accountable for their role in creating one of the greatest public health disasters this country has ever seen. She is proud to fight for justice for individuals who are suffering from preventable diseases due to the greed or callousness of others.

Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Victoria Chang

Posted on March 11, 2025May 16, 2025 by Candice Paddock

Victoria Chang is a veteran trial lawyer and passionate advocate for individuals who have been injured by dangerous products and reckless and negligent practices. Victoria has spent her career litigating on behalf of those who were injured by the wrongdoing of others. Before joining Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, she worked for 10 years as a prosecutor focusing on obtaining justice for victims of sexual assault, both minors and adults. That background provides valuable expertise for her practice representing sex assault victims in civil litigation against schools and other institutions and organizations when they fail to protect individuals in their care. Victoria also represents individuals who have been harmed by dangerous and defective products, including exposure to materials and products containing cancer-causing asbestos and other harmful chemicals.

Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Allison Aoki

Posted on March 11, 2025May 16, 2025 by Candice Paddock

Allison Aoki is a native of Hawaii and a Partner at Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. Her practice focuses on asbestos litigation, birth injury cases, pesticide injury litigation, premises liability, product liability and toxic tort issues. Allison attended Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She earned her law degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu. While there, she was honored with the CALI Award for Excellence in the Future. Allison is admitted to practice law by the State Bar of Hawaii.

Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Elizabeth Nardi

Posted on March 11, 2025May 16, 2025 by Candice Paddock

A veteran lawyer with extensive courtroom experience, Elizabeth is a litigator in Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman’s Maui office. Her practice focuses on obtaining justice for individuals impacted by the Maui fires. A Lahaina resident who evacuated and lost her home during the August 8 fires, Beth brings first-hand perspective of the challenges facing victims. In addition, her practice focuses litigation related to asbestos exposure and exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide. She also represents victims of child sexual abuse.

Before joining the firm, Elizabeth served more than 10 years as a deputy prosecutor in Hawaii and California, where she handled a wide variety of criminal jury trials to verdict. Elizabeth earned her law degree from California Western School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

$3.9M settlement for Honolulu vehicle fatality caused by faulty guardrail

Posted on November 4, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman attorneys have reached a $3.9 million settlement with the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (DOT) on behalf of the family of a 21-year-old Mililani man who was killed when his car struck a damaged highway guardrail.

This young man was driving on H-3 Freeway near Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i in August 2020 when his vehicle veered off the road and struck a damaged guardrail. According to the lawsuit filed by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman attorneys, the guardrail had been damaged by a crash that had occurred in the same location 18 months earlier.

A DOT crew had cut away the damaged rail and replaced it with a temporary repair known as a “boxing glove” – a curved or rounded rail that is not considered “crashworthy.” During the 18 months when the guardrail was unsafe, the DOT neglected to schedule repairs, according to a report from the Hawai‘i Attorney General.

$4 Billion Global Settlement Reached for Maui Wildfires Victims

Posted on August 7, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman attorneys welcome historic settlement, available to answer key questions

MAUI, HI — Nearly a year after wildfires destroyed the town of Lahaina, killing more than 100, a global settlement has been reached that would provide $4 billion to resolve claims, including injury, wrongful death, property and other damages claims.

“Our clients still struggle with housing, with keeping their families together, and with providing for themselves and their families. They’re still experiencing real hardship and trauma,” said attorney Beth Nardi of Hawai‘i-based Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, whose Lahaina home was destroyed in the fire. “As a survivor myself, I can say that I’m relieved that the lawsuits have taken a major step toward a resolution that can allow the community to move forward and rebuild.”

Victoria Chang News Commentary: New Hawai‘i Law Puts Sex Abuse Survivors ‘Front and Center’

Posted on July 23, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

“Thanks to the 2024 legislature, Hawai‘i is taking an important step toward recognizing the unique challenges facing survivors of sex abuse, helping them on the long road to recovery and justice,” Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman’s Victoria Chang writes in a Hawaii Star-Advertiser guest commentary this week regarding the passage of Senate Bill 2601.

Signed into law by Gov. Josh Green earlier this month, SB 2601 prioritizes the victim. Unlike criminal laws focusing on punishing perpetrators, civil lawsuits hold businesses and institutions accountable for failing to protect children. The new law acknowledges that most survivors do not report their abuse, and those who do often delay reporting by an average of 20 years.