Honolulu Reaches Tentative $7M Settlement in Makaha Crash

Honolulu Reaches Tentative $7M Settlement in Makaha Crash

Introduction

Honolulu has tentatively agreed to a $7 million settlement with a 17-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed following a high-speed police pursuit that ended in a crash in Makaha in 2021.

The settlement, reached last week, is still pending approval from the Honolulu City Council. The lawsuit, filed in 2021 when the boy was 14, is the final case to be settled among the crash victims. His lawyer confirmed that, pending the council's approval, he will drop a federal lawsuit accusing city officials of stalling the case.

Earlier this year, the City Council approved a $12.5 million settlement for the driver of the Honda Civic involved in the crash, marking the largest police-related settlement in Honolulu's history. The city had previously settled with four other passengers for $4.5 million last year, all of whom were critically injured in the crash.

The plaintiff's lawyer expressed frustration with how the city handled his client's case, criticizing the lengthy delays and the lower settlement offer compared to others. Despite feeling the settlement amount was less than what the case deserved, he advised the victim's family to accept the offer to cover the boy's extensive medical care, which includes intensive physical and occupational therapy.

The lawyer also noted that the civil trial had been repeatedly delayed due to the ongoing criminal case involving the officers involved in the pursuit. He plans to continue pursuing legal action against the driver of the Honda Civic and his then-girlfriend, who owned the vehicle, as they are named as defendants in the original lawsuit.

A Honolulu city spokesperson declined to comment on the settlement until the City Council has reviewed the agreement. The accused driver, arrested on gun and drug charges in May, is currently being held at the Oahu Community Correctional Center on $1 million bail after failing to appear for a previous arraignment.