By Thomas Grande, esq. and Carl Varady, esq.
Settlement Payments to Living Class Members
Settlement checks have been mailed to approximately 1,300 living Class Members. Settlement checks must be cashed within 120 days after issuance. In most cases, the checks mailed in November 2023 had to be cashed by March 20, 2024.
The Special Master has extended the date by which checks must be cashed an additional 30 days. If you have not cashed your check within 150 days after the check was issued, the old check will be voided and a replacement check will have to be issued. This will cause further delays. Please contact the Claims Administrator if you have not cashed your check.
A small number of checks have been returned as undeliverable. Please contact the Claims Administrator if you have not received your check to update your address.
Living Class Members should continue to update their contact information in case there is an additional payment after the probate period is completed. Please continue to update your contact information even after you receive your check.
Settlement Payments to Deceased Class Members’ Heirs
The “Probate Plan” for Deceased Class Members has begun. Probate Special Counsel Scott Suzuki is filing Petitions in Probate Court to seek approval for payments to the heirs of Deceased Class Members.
A notice describing the Probate Plan was mailed out by the Claims Administrator on Dec. 4, 2023, and contains detailed information about how the Probate Plan works. Family members can find more information about how Deceased Class Members’ claims will be handled on www.kalima-lawsuit.com. The Probate Plan notice is available under the “Documents” link on the website.
Please read the Legal Notices in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for information on hearing dates and the parties involved in each Petition. This information also is available on the kalima-lawsuit.com website under the “Documents” link, which is updated whenever a new petition is filed.
This Probate Process is expected to take about two years to complete. Estates of Deceased Class Members with the most accurate and complete information about possible heirs will be processed first. Those with incomplete information will take longer.
Deceased Class Member and Family Information Forms
There are approximately 300 deceased Class Members for whom the Claims Administrator has not received a Deceased Class Member Information Form and/or Family Information Form. Both forms can be found at the Kalima website. You can fill them in online or print and e-mail them to info@kalima-lawsuit.com or mail them to Kalima Claims Administrator P.O. Box 135035 Honolulu, Hawai’i 96801.
It is critical that these forms be completed and submitted to the Claims Administrator to facilitate prompt distributions to deceased Class Members’ heirs. If you have submitted these forms already, there is no need to repeat this process unless the information has changed.
Questions?
Please contact the Claims Administrator at info@kalima-lawsuit.com or at 1-808-650-5551 or 1-833-639-1308 (Toll-Free) if you have questions. If you are only available at limited times, please include that information in your message.
