Hawaii injury rights, deadlines, and help

If you were hurt in Hawaii, you probably have one big question: how long do I have to act, and what should I do first? This page answers that in plain words, with links to the official laws so you can check every number yourself.

The deadlines that matter in Hawaii

• Personal injury lawsuit: 2 years. Hawaii's statute of limitations (the legal deadline to file a lawsuit) for injury cases is 2 years. Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-7. Official text
• Work injury, tell your employer: as soon as practicable. Hawaii does not set a fixed day count for reporting a work injury, and late notice is excused in many cases. Report it in writing right away anyway. Haw. Rev. Stat. 386-81. Official text
• Work injury, formal claim: two clocks. Your written claim to the director of labor must be filed within 2 years after the effects of the injury show themselves, and also within 5 years after the accident. Both limits apply. Haw. Rev. Stat. 386-82. Official text
• Claim against the State of Hawaii: 2 years. There is no special pre-suit notice letter for state claims, but the lawsuit itself must be filed within 2 years. Haw. Rev. Stat. 662-4. Official text
• Claim against a county: written notice within 2 years. If a county (like the City and County of Honolulu) is involved, you must send written notice of your injury within 2 years. Haw. Rev. Stat. 46-72. Official text Some older articles still say 6 months. The law changed in 2012, so ignore the old number, but do not wait either.

Medical claims can have different, often shorter deadlines. Minors and some other people may get extra time. Laws change, so treat these as starting points, not legal advice for your exact case.

What to do first

1. Get medical care now. Your health comes first, and the medical record it creates also protects your claim.
2. Report the injury in writing. Work injury: tell your employer in writing today, even though Hawaii is flexible about timing. Crash: call the police and get the report number. Fall or dog bite: tell the property owner or dog owner and keep proof you did.
3. Save everything. Photos of the scene and your injuries, names of witnesses, receipts, and every letter or text about the incident.
4. Do not sign anything from an insurance company yet. A release signed early can end your claim forever, even for injuries no one has found yet. Hawaii has seen exactly that happen (see the story below).
5. Learn your deadlines, then get advice early. The two county and state clocks above run whether or not you know about them.

Not sure which deadline applies to you? Tell us what happened at /start/. It is free, and we will help you sort it out.

Common situations in Hawaii

Hurt at work

Hawaii workers' compensation (the no-fault system that pays for work injuries) is generous about late reporting, but do not lean on that. Report in writing the same day. The formal claim has the dual 2-year and 5-year clocks above, and injuries that show up slowly (like back damage or hearing loss) are exactly the ones people file too late.

Hurt on the road

Car, motorcycle, bike, and pedestrian injuries generally fall under the 2-year lawsuit deadline. Hawaii uses a modified comparative negligence rule: if you were partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share, and if your share is greater than the other side's, you recover nothing. Haw. Rev. Stat. 663-31. This is why insurers argue hard about fault percentages.

Hurt on someone's property, or by a dog

Slip and fall cases follow the same 2-year clock. If the fall happened on state or county property, the government rules above apply too. For dog bites and other animal injuries, Hawaii holds the owner liable even if the dog never hurt anyone before. Haw. Rev. Stat. 663-9. The owner can raise defenses like provocation, so evidence matters from day one.

A Hawaii story worth knowing

In 1988, Phyllis Gossinger slipped on soapy water that had flooded the bathroom of her rented Honolulu apartment. The emergency room doctor said her back strain "would take a long time to heal." The very next day, with no lawyer, she and her husband wrote their own demand letter. Three days later they settled with the insurance adjuster for $1,100 and signed a release that gave up all claims, for injuries "known and unknown," forever. About a year later, doctors found a herniated disc that needed surgery. The bills passed $20,000. The Hawaii Supreme Court held them to the release in 1992. They kept the $1,100 and ate the rest. Gossinger v. Association of Apartment Owners of the Regency, 73 Haw. 412 (1992)

The lesson is not that the Gossingers did something shameful. They did what felt responsible. The system is simply unforgiving to people who move fast without advice, and that is exactly why having an advocate helps.

What we can help with

We are not a law firm and we do not charge injured people anything. We are your advocate. Here is what that looks like:

• Explain your rights and the Hawaii deadlines above in plain language.
• Help you figure out which situation you are in: work injury, road injury, government property, or something else.
• Help you find the right kind of licensed help: medical care, therapy, pain management, state benefits, and a qualified injury lawyer when one is needed.
• Help you prepare questions to ask, so no one rushes you into a decision like the one above.

Our help is always free to you. We never take money from injured people.

Tell us what happened

If you or someone you love was hurt in Hawaii, you do not have to figure this out alone. Share your story at /start/ and we will point you in the right direction. No pressure, no cost.

Sources

• Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-7 (personal injury statute of limitations): https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol13_Ch0601-0676/HRS0657/HRS_0657-0007.htm
• Haw. Rev. Stat. 386-81 (work injury notice): https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol07_Ch0346-0398/HRS0386/HRS_0386-0081.htm
• Haw. Rev. Stat. 386-82 (workers' compensation claim deadlines): https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol07_Ch0346-0398/HRS0386/HRS_0386-0082.htm
• Haw. Rev. Stat. 662-4 (claims against the state): https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol13_Ch0601-0676/HRS0662/HRS_0662-0004.htm
• Haw. Rev. Stat. 46-72 (notice to counties): https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol02_Ch0046-0115/HRS0046/HRS_0046-0072.htm
• Haw. Rev. Stat. 663-9 (animal owner liability): https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol13_Ch0601-0676/HRS0663/HRS_0663-0009.htm
• Haw. Rev. Stat. 663-31 (comparative negligence): https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol13_Ch0601-0676/HRS0663/HRS_0663-0031.htm
• Gossinger v. Association of Apartment Owners of the Regency, 73 Haw. 412 (1992): https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1118161/gossinger-v-association-of-apartment-owners-of-the-regency/

Last reviewed: 2026-08-16

This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines can change or vary with the facts. A licensed attorney can confirm the rule for your situation.