Maui Fire Survivors Have Waited Long Enough — Drop the Appeal
The Issue
In August 2023, the town of Lahaina was consumed by fire. More than 2,200 homes and structures were destroyed. Over 100 lives were lost. Entire families were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the weight of unimaginable grief.
Nearly three years later, most survivors are still waiting.
As a doctoral researcher in clinical psychology and mental health professional who has worked closely with Maui fire survivors, Our teams have seen how prolonged uncertainty continues to compound trauma. These are not just legal cases. They are parents trying to keep their children in school, elders who lost the homes they lived in for decades, and workers who lost both their livelihoods and their sense of place. They are neighbors and friends trying to rebuild from the ashes.
A recent ruling by Judge Peter Cahill offered a rare moment of relief. By limiting attorney fees, the court aimed to ensure that more of the settlement money actually reaches the people who need it most. That decision was a step toward fairness.
Now that progress is being threatened. Ranken & Shnider, PacLaw Group, and Montegna & Thickstun have appealed the ruling . Their appeal risks taking more money out of survivors’ pockets and pushing the already delayed distributions even further into the future.
Every additional month of delay is another month of rent that is hard to pay, another month of medical bills that go unmet, another month of children growing up in temporary housing, and another month of trauma that remains unresolved.
The legal system should not become another source of harm for people who have already lost so much.
We respectfully urge Ranken & Shnider, PacLaw Group, and Montegna & Thickstun to withdraw this appeal. Dropping it would allow the judge’s decision to stand, speed the flow of funds to survivors, and show that these firms place the well-being of the people they represent above prolonged legal battles over money.
Lahaina’s survivors have waited long enough. They deserve the chance to rebuild without the constant never-ending uncertainty.
If you believe justice delayed is justice denied, please add your name. Sign this petition and call on these firms to value peoples lives over money.
Your signature can truly pressure them to end this unnecessary delay and bring a measure of peace, dignity, and closure to the people of Maui who need it most.
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The Issue
In August 2023, the town of Lahaina was consumed by fire. More than 2,200 homes and structures were destroyed. Over 100 lives were lost. Entire families were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the weight of unimaginable grief.
Nearly three years later, most survivors are still waiting.
As a doctoral researcher in clinical psychology and mental health professional who has worked closely with Maui fire survivors, Our teams have seen how prolonged uncertainty continues to compound trauma. These are not just legal cases. They are parents trying to keep their children in school, elders who lost the homes they lived in for decades, and workers who lost both their livelihoods and their sense of place. They are neighbors and friends trying to rebuild from the ashes.
A recent ruling by Judge Peter Cahill offered a rare moment of relief. By limiting attorney fees, the court aimed to ensure that more of the settlement money actually reaches the people who need it most. That decision was a step toward fairness.
Now that progress is being threatened. Ranken & Shnider, PacLaw Group, and Montegna & Thickstun have appealed the ruling . Their appeal risks taking more money out of survivors’ pockets and pushing the already delayed distributions even further into the future.
Every additional month of delay is another month of rent that is hard to pay, another month of medical bills that go unmet, another month of children growing up in temporary housing, and another month of trauma that remains unresolved.
The legal system should not become another source of harm for people who have already lost so much.
We respectfully urge Ranken & Shnider, PacLaw Group, and Montegna & Thickstun to withdraw this appeal. Dropping it would allow the judge’s decision to stand, speed the flow of funds to survivors, and show that these firms place the well-being of the people they represent above prolonged legal battles over money.
Lahaina’s survivors have waited long enough. They deserve the chance to rebuild without the constant never-ending uncertainty.
If you believe justice delayed is justice denied, please add your name. Sign this petition and call on these firms to value peoples lives over money.
Your signature can truly pressure them to end this unnecessary delay and bring a measure of peace, dignity, and closure to the people of Maui who need it most.
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Petition created on July 30, 2026