Category Archives: Hawaii News Now

Insurer denies claim submitted by elderly couple displaced by lava

PUNA, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) – Lloyd’s of London, a national insurer, has officially denied a claim submitted by an elderly couple who is now living in a friend’s garage.

The denial came via fax just days after the Leilani Estates residents sued for failing to give them lava damages — despite paying $2,700 a year in premiums.

Philip and Lunel Haysmer’s home burned down in early May when lava first entered into the Puna subdivision. According to their suit, the insurer, a syndication group led by Lloyd’s of London, has failed to honor their damage claims.

Their lawyer, Jeffrey Foster, said the couple is among a dozen homeowners whose claims are being denied.

Records: ER staff suspected abuse in death of 3-year-old foster child

KAMUELA, HAWAII (HawaiiNewsNow) – Emergency room staff at a Big Island hospital suspected abuse in the death of a 3-year-old boy who died last year in foster care, medical records show.

Fabian Garcia died in July, and the Hawaii County medical examiner determined it was due to blunt force trauma to the head.

But after a seven-month investigation, the medical examiner stopped short of saying the boy had been murdered.

Jeffrey Foster, the attorney for Fabian’s biological parents, is calling on anyone who might know about the toddler’s death to call police.

Foster provided Hawaii News Now a portion of Fabian’s hospital records, which show ER staff suspected abuse.