(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), this article abolishes tort liability of the following persons with respect to accidental harm arising from motor vehicle accidents occurring in this State:

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-306

  • Accidental harm: means bodily injury, death, sickness, or disease caused by a motor vehicle accident to a person. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103
  • Criminal conduct: means :

    (1) The commission of an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year;

    (2) The operation or use of a motor vehicle with the specific intent of causing injury or damage; or

    (3) The operation or use of a motor vehicle as a converter without a good faith belief by the operator or user that the operator or user is legally entitled to operate or use such vehicle. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Injury: means accidental harm not resulting in death. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103
  • Insured: means :

    (1) The person identified by name as insured in a motor vehicle insurance policy complying with § 431:10C-301; and

    (2) A person residing in the same household with a named insured, specifically:

    (A) A spouse or reciprocal beneficiary or other relative of a named insured; and

    (B) A minor in the custody of a named insured or of a relative residing in the same household with a named insured. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103

  • Insurer: means every person holding a valid certificate of authority to engage in the business of making contracts of motor vehicle insurance in this State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103
  • Motor vehicle: means any vehicle of a type required to be registered under chapter 286, including a trailer attached to such a vehicle, but not including motorcycles and motor scooters. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103
  • Motor vehicle accident: means an accident arising out of the operation, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle, including an object drawn or propelled by a motor vehicle. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103
  • Owner: means a person who holds the legal title to a motor vehicle; except that in the case of a motor vehicle which is the subject of a security agreement or lease with a term of not less than one year with the debtor or lessee having the right to possession, such term means the debtor or lessee. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103
  • Person: means , when appropriate to the context, not only individuals, but corporations, firms, associations, and societies. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103
  • Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
  • Uninsured motor vehicle: means any of the following:

    (1) A motor vehicle for which there is no bodily injury liability insurance or self-insurance applicable at the time of the accident; or

    (2) An unidentified motor vehicle that causes an accident resulting in injury; provided the accident is reported to the police or proper governmental authority within thirty days or as soon as practicable thereafter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103

(1) Owner, operator, or user of an insured motor vehicle; or
(2) Operator or user of an uninsured motor vehicle who operates or uses such vehicle without reason to believe it to be an uninsured motor vehicle.
(b) Tort liability is not abolished as to the following persons, their personal representatives, or their legal guardians in the following circumstances:

(1) Death occurs to the person in such a motor vehicle accident;
(2) Injury occurs to the person which consists, in whole or in part, in a significant permanent loss of use of a part or function of the body;
(3) Injury occurs to the person which consists of a permanent and serious disfigurement which results in subjection of the injured person to mental or emotional suffering; or
(4) Injury occurs to the person in a motor vehicle accident and as a result of such injury that the personal injury protection benefits incurred by such person equal or exceed $5,000; provided that in calculating this amount:

(A) The following shall be included:

(i) Personal injury protection benefits incurred by, paid to or payable to, or on behalf of, an eligible injured person including amounts paid directly by or on behalf of the eligible insured because of the accidental harm or similar benefits under social security, worker’s compensation, or public assistance laws;
(ii) The applicable amounts of deductible or copayment paid or incurred;
(iii) Amounts paid by or on behalf of an injured person who is not entitled to personal injury protection benefits, by health insurance or other funds; provided that payment in excess of the charges or services allowable under this chapter shall not be included;
(iv) Where an eligible injured person receives coverage on other than a fee for service basis including, but not limited to, a health maintenance organization operating on a capitation basis, the value of services provided shall be determined in accordance with the fee schedules allowable under this chapter for purposes of threshold determination;
(B) When a person has optional coverage, benefits received in excess of the maximum basic personal injury protection limits set forth in section 431:10C-103.5 shall not be included.
(c) Subsections (a) and (b) shall apply whether or not the injured person is entitled to receive personal injury protection benefits. The party against whom the presumption under this section is directed shall have the burden of proof to rebut the presumption.
(d) No claim may be made for benefits under the uninsured motorist coverage by an injured person against an insurer who has paid or is liable to pay motor vehicle insurance benefits to the injured person unless the claim meets the requirements of this article.
(e) No provision of this article shall be construed to exonerate, or in any manner to limit:

(1) The liability of any person in the business of manufacturing, retailing, repairing, servicing, or otherwise maintaining motor vehicles, arising from a defect in a motor vehicle caused, or not corrected, by an act or omission in the manufacturing, retailing, repairing, servicing, or other maintenance of a vehicle in the course of the person’s business;
(2) The criminal or civil liability, including special and general damages, of any person who, in the maintenance, operation, or use of any motor vehicle:

(A) Intentionally causes injury or damage to a person or property;
(B) Engages in criminal conduct that causes injury or damage to person or property;
(C) Engages in conduct resulting in punitive or exemplary damages; or
(D) Causes death or injury to another person in connection with the accident while operating the vehicle in violation of § 291E-61 or section 291-4 or 291-7, as those sections were in effect on or before December 31, 2001.
(f) No provision of this section shall be construed to abolish tort liability with respect to property damage arising from motor vehicle accidents.

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