After a Crash in Hawaiʻi — Official Resources

Report the crash

Under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes §291C-16, a driver must report a crash to the nearest police officer immediately, by the quickest means available, when there is injury or death, or property damage of about $3,000 or more. If the driver can't call, another occupant must.

Damage estimates are easy to get wrong from the roadside — modern bumpers hide a lot — so when in doubt, call it in and let the officer document it.

Your own insurer pays first (PIP)

Hawaiʻi runs a no-fault system: after a crash, your medical bills go through your own Personal Injury Protection coverage first, no matter who caused it. Every Hawaiʻi policy carries at least $10,000 in PIP benefits (HRS §431:10C-103.5).

Open that claim with your own insurer right away rather than waiting to see who gets blamed — PIP is designed to start paying before fault is sorted out. If injuries are serious, Hawaiʻi law also allows stepping outside the no-fault system to claim against the at-fault driver; the thresholds are specific, and that's a question worth taking to a lawyer.

Get the police report

Hawaiʻi has no single statewide crash-report portal — reports come from the county police department that responded: Honolulu (Oʻahu), Hawaiʻi County, Maui, or Kauaʻi. On Oʻahu, that's the Honolulu Police Department's Records and Identification Division, which takes requests online, in person, or by mail, usually for a small fee.

Allow about a week to ten days after the crash before requesting, and bring the date, location, and report number if you have it.

Hit-and-run

Call police immediately. On islands with a finite number of vehicles, a plate captured clearly on video is often the difference between a solved and an unsolved hit-and-run — so save your clip and note the time and location before doing anything else.

Your PIP coverage pays your medical bills whether or not the other driver is ever found, so open that claim now rather than waiting on the investigation. Uninsured-motorist coverage is optional in Hawaiʻi, so check whether you actually carry it before assuming it applies, and use the Insurance Division below if your carrier stalls.

Find a lawyer

The Lawyer Referral & Information Service is the state's only lawyer referral service, run by the Hawaiʻi State Bar Association and covering all islands — (808) 537-9140, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The referral itself is free; you settle fees directly with the attorney you're referred to.

The Bar also runs a free legal information hotline staffed by volunteer attorneys on Wednesday evenings, 6–7 p.m., at (808) 537-1868.

Free legal help

The Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi provides statewide civil legal help for people with lower incomes, and runs the Hawaiʻi Legal Services Portal — an online triage tool that routes you to the right organization for your situation. Court self-help centers staffed by volunteer attorneys also operate across the islands.

Insurance problems

The Hawaiʻi Insurance Division investigates complaints against insurers. They suggest speaking with an investigator first — many problems get resolved without a formal complaint. Call 1-844-808-3222, weekdays 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hawaiʻi time.

Uninsured at the time? The reporting duty above doesn't change, and the free legal help listed here is built for exactly this situation — the Legal Aid Society's portal will route you to whoever handles it on your island.