Verus Approved for Maui Fire Settlement Fund Role

A New Jersey-based claims administrator has been cleared to handle settlement money for individual plaintiffs in the Maui fire litigation.

Verus Claims Services LLC won approval from the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit, State of Hawaiʻi, to serve as a Sub-Qualified Settlement Fund Administrator in the coordinated Maui fire cases. The order, signed by Judge Peter T. Cahill, lets Verus manage the transfer of settlement proceeds from the main administrator, BrownGreer, to individual plaintiffs.

The Sub-QSF structure gives plaintiffs time to evaluate settlement planning options, including special needs trusts, structured settlements, and pooled trusts, before funds are distributed. Verus is authorized to administer those vehicles under Section 130(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and to wind down the Sub-QSF after final distribution.

Law firms representing individual plaintiffs in the Special Proceeding can elect to use Verus by filing a separate order with the court. Each plaintiff retains the right to opt out or decline the Sub-QSF entirely.

"Our role is to provide experienced, transparent, and efficient administration that helps ensure settlement proceeds are managed and distributed with care, accuracy, and accountability," said Mark Eveland, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Verus.

Knut Fenner, CEO of Verus, said the company's two decades of work in high-volume litigation – combining experienced staff, disciplined processes, and scalable technology – made it a fit for the Maui fire administration. "That foundation allows us to provide the accuracy, transparency, and responsiveness required when administering funds for large groups of individual claimants," Fenner said.

Verus provides litigation support, claims administration, case management, settlement administration, analytics, lien resolution, and medical review for mass tort, class action, and complex litigation matters.