The mistake that costs people the most money in Hawaii is waiting for the other driver's insurance to pay instead of opening their own PIP claim right away.

In Hawaii, auto injury claims start with your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. Hawaii is a no-fault state, and every driver is required to carry at least $10,000 in PIP benefits. That money is meant to pay medical bills and some lost wages regardless of who caused the crash.

So if you were hurt in a Kaneohe holiday-weekend wreck, you usually send the bills to your own auto insurer first, not straight to the drunk driver's insurer and not only to your health insurance.

That matters even more if you had an old neck, back, or shoulder problem that got sharply worse. A pre-existing condition does not block a claim if the crash aggravated it. Your records just need to show the change: worse pain, new imaging findings, reduced range of motion, more treatment, missed work, or a new referral.

Do this fast:

• Open the PIP claim with your insurer immediately.
• Get evaluated and tell the provider clearly what changed from your old condition.
• Give the clinic your auto insurance information so bills are coded to PIP.
• Keep copies of work-loss notes, therapy records, prescriptions, and imaging orders.
• If you went to The Queen's Medical Center or another ER, make sure those bills are tied to the auto claim.

If your injuries are serious enough, you may also have a claim against the at-fault driver beyond PIP. In Hawaii, that usually means meeting the tort threshold, often when medical-rehab expenses exceed $5,000 or the injury is serious or permanent.

If police responded in Kaneohe, get the Honolulu Police Department report number too. Your insurer will ask for it.