Saddle Road / Daniel K. Inouye Highway Accident Attorney — Big Island, Hawaiʻi
If you or a loved one has been in a crash on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road), experienced Hawai’i Island attorney Jeffrey Foster of Foster Law Offices is available to help. Jeff has represented drivers, passengers, and families of victims in bodily injury and wrongful death cases for over two decades. He understands the dangers of this highway, the tactics insurance companies use to minimize your claim or point fingers at victims, and how to fight for the full compensation you deserve.
Call or text Foster Law Offices today at (808) 348-7800 for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we recover for you.
A Highway in Crisis
The Daniel K. Inouye Highway — widely known as Saddle Road — is Hawaiʻi Island’s main east-west artery, connecting Hilo and Kailua-Kona across the slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. In recent years, it has become one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the state.
The highway has seen a disturbing surge in fatal crashes. In 2025 and 2026 alone, multiple people have lost their lives on this road, including a four-year-old child and a three-week-old infant. The situation has become so severe that the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation declared mileposts 5.5 through 28 a traffic emergency zone — a designation allowing the state to accelerate engineering improvements and safety mitigations.
State officials and community leaders have spoken out about the crisis. Sen. Lorraine Inouye, Senate Transportation Chair, has said: “We are having too many deaths, and I’m not happy about it.” The Hawaiʻi DOT director has pointed to dangerous passing behavior at high speeds as a key factor: “People are using these passing zones at very high speeds, and because of it, it’s making it dangerous.”
Despite enforcement efforts and engineering changes, crashes continue. If you were hurt or a family member has lost their life on this dangerous highway, we can help answer questions about your legal rights.
What Makes Saddle Road So Dangerous?
Officials and safety experts have identified several contributing factors to crashes on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway:
- Unsafe passing lanes — Allowing passing to occur at 60 mph on windy roads with unpredictable weather conditions and road hazards has led to far too many preventable deaths and life-changing injuries.
- Drainage Problems — Portions of the highway retain water and do not drain properly. This causes vehicles to “hydroplane” even when going at or below the speed limit.
- Changing weather and road conditions — Fog, rain, and wet pavement are common between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Vehicles. These weather conditions, combined with the two-lane nature of the highway, have caused serious and fatal collisions.
- Long straight stretches — These can give drivers a false sense of security and encourage excessive speeds before curves.
- Unfamiliar drivers — Visitors and tourists unfamiliar with the road may misjudge sight distances or not anticipate the rapid weather changes.
- Commercial truck traffic — Large vehicles sharing two-lane sections create hazardous conditions for passenger cars.
Common Causes of Daniel K. Inouye Highway Crashes We Handle
Attorney Jeffrey Foster represents clients injured in a wide range of crash types on Saddle Road, including:
- Head-on collisions resulting from illegal or reckless passing
- Hydroplaning and loss-of-control crashes in wet or foggy conditions
- Commercial truck and dump truck collisions
- Speeding-related crashes
- Impaired driving accidents
- Distracted driving crashes
- Wrongful death resulting from any of the above
Whether you were a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, or the surviving family member of someone killed on this highway, Foster Law Offices understands the dangers of driving on this highway and is ready to pursue every possible angle of compensation for your injuries or the loss of a loved one’s
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Victims of crashes on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical expenses — emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and future medical needs
- Lost wages — income lost during recovery, and loss of future earning capacity if your injuries are permanent
- Pain and suffering — physical pain and emotional distress caused by the crash and your injuries
- Wrongful death damages — funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship for surviving family members
Insurance companies will work quickly to attempt to minimize what they pay you. Don’t speak to any other driver’s insurance company before speaking with an experienced attorney who will stand up for your financial interests.
Why Choose Jeffrey Foster for Your Saddle Road Case?
Attorney Jeffrey Foster has a passion for representing injured victims against insurance companies and large corporations since he began practicing law in 2001. Founded in 2003 by Jeffrey Foster, Foster Law Offices puts Mr. Foster’s legal expertise and highly competitive spirit to work on clients’ behalf to provide superior legal representation in personal injury matters.
Foster Law Offices represents Hawaii residents, visitors, and tourists in auto accidents and personal injury cases throughout the Hawaiian Islands, with a primary office in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Jeff is a skillful negotiator and experienced litigator who handles cases in state courts throughout the Hawaiian Islands and in federal court on O’ahu. At Foster Law Offices, the firm handles insurance disputes, serious injury claims, wrongful death, and complex liability matters, working to help clients recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other financial harms and damages.
As a Big Island attorney based in Kailua-Kona, Jeff knows this highway. He knows the dangerous sections, the recurring conditions that contribute to crashes, and the insurance defense strategies used to deny or undervalue claims involving this road. His office is conveniently located near the courthouse — and he will travel to meet with clients wherever is most convenient.
The Clock Is Ticking — Hawaiʻi’s Statute of Limitations
Under Hawaiʻi law, injured victims generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. If that deadline passes, you may permanently lose the right to recover compensation — regardless of how serious your injuries are. Insurance companies know this and may delay negotiations to let the clock run out.
Do not wait. Contact Foster Law Offices as soon as possible after your crash.
Free Consultation — No Fee Unless We Win
At Foster Law Offices, the first consultation on personal injury cases is always free. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
If you were injured on Saddle Road / Daniel K. Inouye Highway, call or text us today at (808) 348-7800, or complete the online contact form. We are available evenings and weekends and will respond promptly.
