Hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes are the most common natural disasters to impact the State of Hawaii. The 2018 Hawaii hurricane season was one of the most destructive in recent memory, with six hurricanes hitting the islands. 2018 also brought the lower Puna volcano eruption.
Hawaii policyholders should make sure they maintain coverage for damage related lava flow from volcanos because lava flow causes not only direct damage to property, but also many significant access issues for policyholders. Businesses need to be especially aware of their coverage as many operations will shut down completely if roads are closed or damaged. Many policyholders are still engaged in disputes with their insurers resulting from last year’s perils.
Should policyholders need to file a complaint with the State of Hawaii’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Insurance Department, they should first contact the Insurance Division by phone before filing a complaint, as Insurance Division investigators may help resolve issues without the need to file a formal complaint:
Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Insurance Department: (808) 586-2790
To file a formal complaint, policyholders must obtain and complaint a Complaint Form here.
The form should be typed and mailed to:
Hawaii Insurance Division
Compliance and Enforcement Branch
P.O. Box 3614
Honolulu, Hawaii 96811
Policyholders are further directed to contact the Insurance Division if they do not receive a response to their Complaint within 30-45 days.
Merlin Law Group has attorneys licensed in Hawaii should any issues arise.