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State law · HI
Probably, against the at-fault driver, but Hawaii law is thin. Hawaii's appeals court has approved the before-and-after value measure for vehicle damage, yet no Hawaii appellate decision was found on lost value after a proper repair. No authority was found on claims against your own insurer, so that depends on your policy. Suits for property damage must be filed within two years.
Claim against the at-fault driver
Unsettled
Claim against your own insurer
Unsettled
Time limit to sue for property damage
2 years
Insurance regulator
Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Insurance Division
Reviewed by Monica Fisher, Owner, Licensed Auto Appraiser and Court Expert Witness — appraisal perspective, not legal advice
Last reviewed
Hawaii law
Third-party claim
Unsettled
In Richards v. Kailua Auto Machine Service (1994), Hawaii's Intermediate Court of Appeals described the difference in value immediately before and after damage as the measure most often approved for repairable vehicles, noting other states allow repair cost plus post-repair value loss. That was a repair-shop case. No Hawaii decision squarely allowing inherent diminished value after an adequate repair was found.
Authority: Richards v. Kailua Auto Machine Service, 10 Haw. App. 613, 880 P.2d 1233 (1994)
First-party claim
Unsettled
No Hawaii statute, regulation or appellate decision on whether your own collision coverage must pay diminished value was found. Coverage depends on the policy wording; standard repair-or-replace language has been read not to include diminished value in many other states.
Case law
Intermediate Court of Appeals of Hawaii · 1994
10 Haw. App. 613, 880 P.2d 1233 (1994)
In a claim against a repair shop, the court described the difference between a vehicle's value immediately before and after damage as the measure most often approved where the vehicle is repairable, with repair cost as evidence of that depreciation.
Status: treatment unclear: Garage-negligence context, not a collision between drivers.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-7: Damage to persons or property
Actions for compensation for damage or injury to persons or property must be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues (except as provided in § 657-13).
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 431:10C-301 (as amended): Required motor vehicle policy coverage
Per the Hawaii Insurance Division, minimum liability limits rose to $40,000 per person, $80,000 per accident bodily injury and $20,000 property damage for new and renewal policies effective on or after 1 January 2026, plus $10,000 PIP.
Researched September 30, 2026. General information from an appraisal perspective, not legal advice.
Autoloss in HI
We serve Hawaii from your repair order, photos and records, the same way we serve every state. A typical diminished-value appraisal is $250–$350, typically 24–48 hours after all required information is received.
Other states
The claim review is free: we look at your situation and tell you whether an appraisal is likely to help. The appraisal itself is a paid report. We help from start to finish, including a custom demand letter, and our support staff is a phone call away throughout the process.
