Hawaii Archives | Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman LLP

Despite restrictions on asbestos, Hawai‘i residents continue to succumb to mesothelioma cancer

Posted on December 18, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

While it’s well-established that the deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma is caused solely by exposure to asbestos, thousands of people throughout the U.S. mainland and Hawaii continue to die from the disease every year.

About 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are registered each year in the United States. In Hawaii, there are approximately 38 asbestos-related deaths a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Mesothelioma was discovered in the late nineteenth century and gradually came to be associated with exposure to asbestos. The mineral has been used throughout history, but as the Industrial Revolution took hold, more and more uses were found.

Female Inmates Use Legal System to Fight Prison Sex Abuse

Posted on November 6, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Female inmates in Hawai’i and in facilities across the U.S. are demanding accountability for a pattern of sexual abuse by guards and staff. More than 5,000 claims of sexual assault and abuse by guards have been reported since 2012, including a series of assaults at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua.

Hawaiʻi prison officials have pledged to improve security for women inmates at the facility as part of a $2 million settlement on behalf of six women who were sexually assaulted by guards.

“This settlement recognizes that these women were victims while in the State’s custody and that they should receive a measure of justice for the harm the ACOs caused them,” said Attorney General Anne Lopez.

Proud to Support a Scrappy Non-Profit Battling Cancer’s Heavy Toll

Posted on September 10, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Day and night, individuals battling cancer and their families face a seemingly never ending list of challenges. Medical care provides only so much, even for those with the best health insurance. The extreme physical, emotional and financial toll can make an already difficult situation even worse.

Hawai‘i-based U.S. vs. Cancer (USVC) has emerged as a rare beacon of support, providing financial assistance for families battling cancer while also funding cutting-edge research. Founder Jamil Newirth and the organization’s leadership have each been impacted by cancer and are committed to using their nimble non-profit to fill the gaps and make a difference.

The 501c3 organization provides direct out-of-pocket cancer related expenses, including health care co-pays, as well as funds for alternative or experimental therapies, travel for treatment and supplies. Such services are critically important given the limited resources and treatment options available in Hawai‘i, especially on neighbor islands. USVC held its inaugural Catalyst for Hope fundraiser on August 17, and Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman was honored to join its “Founders Circle,” the highest level of sponsorship. This year’s benefit raised nearly $190,000.

$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.”

Health Effects from Red Hill Fuel Spill a ‘Ticking Time Bomb’

Posted on August 1, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Service members and residents in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam have reported serious medical complications following a catastrophic jet fuel spill in 2021 that contaminated the area’s drinking water supply.

Extent of Toxic Contamination

The May 2021 mishap at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility caused 19,000 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel to be released into an underground storage area. The public was not alerted about the contaminated water supply until late 2021 when a discharge pipe containing the leaked fuel ruptured, causing thousands of gallons to enter soil and bedrock near a drinking water shaft serving the military base and surrounding community.

Pesticides Expose Hawaiʻi Families to Higher Birth Defect Risk

Posted on June 26, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Families in Hawaiʻi are experiencing dramatic increases in certain serious birth defects, including a rare and serious condition that is being diagnosed at a rate 10 times higher than on the mainland.

Mothers living near farms where pesticides are used are at particular risk, physicians say. The Hawaiʻi Center for Food Safety found that chemical companies have sprayed restricted-use pesticides at a rate 17 times greater than the mainland average.

Kamehameha Schools’ Shameful Legacy of Sexual Abuse

Posted on June 12, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

A towering symbol of Hawai‘i pride, Hawai‘i’s Kamehameha Schools has educated some of the Hawaiian Islands’ leading lights since 1887. Named for the monarch who united the Hawaiian Islands, Kamehameha’s boarding school on Oahu provided families of native Hawaiian descent the opportunity to educate their children on a campus with more than 70 buildings, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an athletic complex that seats 3,000, and a resources that rival those of the world’s most-elite private schools.

The school’s storied history, however, belies a dark secret that has only recently come to light. For generations, school administrators covered up what lawsuits by more than 30 former students have described as decades of “monstrous sexual abuse” perpetrated largely against male boarders who were entirely in the trust and care of Kamehameha Schools.

Attorney Alyssa Segawa Selected to AAJ Leadership Role

Posted on March 13, 2024November 21, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman is proud to announce that firm partner Alyssa Segawa has been selected to represent trial lawyers in Hawai’i on the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice (AAJ).

The appointment to a national leadership role within the largest association of trial lawyers reflects a career-long commitment by Segawa to promoting professionalism and the highest standards within the legal profession.

What is the American Association for Justice?

Formed in 1946 and based in Washington, D.C., the AAJ’s mission is to promote justice and fairness for injured individuals and safeguard the constitutional right to a trial by jury. Organization members in each state are represented by two members of the Board of Governors. Segawa represents Hawai’i, while Johnston represents Texas. The selection was announced at the AAJ’s winter meeting in Austin, Texas, in February.

About Alyssa Segawa

Segawa is a partner in Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman’s Honolulu office. Her practice focuses 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.

She has held numerous leadership positions in the AAJ, as well as in the organization’s state chapter, the Hawaii Association for Justice. In addition, she has served on the Hawaii Association for Justice Board of Governors since 2014 and is active in the Hawaii Bar Association.

In 2022, Segawa was part of a Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman team that secured a $5.63 million settlement on behalf of a Hawai’i student who was sexually assaulted by a teacher. The settlement ranked among the Top 50 in the nation for 2022, according to an analysis of state and federal records by researchers at TopVerdict.com.

Since the devastating West Maui wildfires destroyed the town of Lahaina in August 2023, Segawa and the entire Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman team have been working to help victims recover, rebuild and obtain justice.

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Law Firm Earns 1 of the Top 50 Largest Injury Settlements of 2022

Posted on March 6, 2024November 21, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

A multi-million dollar litigation settlement secured by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman trial lawyers is recognized among the Top 50 in the nation for 2022. The case underscores the Hawai’i-based firm’s ability to handle some of the most challenging types of injury litigation, which include asbestos exposure and sex assault.

The case involved a $5.63 million settlement on behalf of a Hawai’i student who was sexually assaulted by a teacher, according to an analysis of state and federal records by researchers at TopVerdict.com.

“Sexual assault litigation is extremely difficult. The victims often feel like the legal system is uncaring and victimizes them all over again. It’s extremely gratifying to represent these individuals and help them obtain justice,” said Galliher DeRobertis & Waxman lawyers Ilana Waxman and Chris Johnson, who played leadership roles in the case. “We were able to win a significant settlement that avoided having the victim testify in trial. Recognition like this is just another indication that our passion for clients and their causes can make a difference.”

Maui-born Partner Ilana Waxman on Rebuilding after Lahaina Fires

Posted on December 29, 2023November 21, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Like her longtime Maui neighbors, Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman Managing Partner Ilana Waxman was on edge on the morning of August 8. Massive fires had been spotted near her Upcountry home, and her eldest daughter’s school was canceled as a precaution. Homes had already been lost in Kula. As the destruction and devastating loss of life in Lahaina became apparent, she set to work helping with immediate needs of the survivors. As an experienced mass tort attorney who was born and raised on Maui, Waxman found herself in a position to provide legal assistance to survivors as they work to rebuild and preserve their unique community and way of life.

Since the fire, Waxman has been working closely with the Hawai’i State Bar Foundation, where she is the chair of the Grants Committee, as well as the Hawai’i State Bar Association and the Hawai’i Association for Justice to raise funds, provide a wide range of legal assistance, and identify and develop long term public policy and legal solutions. We caught up with Waxman to discuss the legal challenges and opportunities facing survivors.