BewareVacek v. United States Postal Service, 9th Circ. Court of Appeal No. 04-15961 (5/24/06). In the Vacek case an experienced attorney alleged that he had preserved his clients' Federal Tort Claims Act claims by mailing Form 95 to the defendant agency (the USPS) on a timely basis. However a year passed before further negotiations on the claims. At that point the deadline for filing form 95 had expired. The U.S. Postal Service denied ever receiving the claim form. Even with a declaration of the attorney under oath that he had timely mailed the claim form to the USPS, the U.S. District Court still dismissed the claims stating that under the FTCA it was the claimant's burden of proof to show that the USPS had received the claim form. Even the fact that the messenger charged with delivery of the claim form was the USPS itself was insufficient to invoke the mailbox rule.
On March 17, 2026, at a little after 7 am, a fatal motor vehicle accident occurred on Vineyard Blvd in the Liliha area. For unknown reasons, a 59-year-old city bus driver lost control of his bus, traveled onto the center median, and collided directly into a tree. The driver was critically injured in spite of wearing his seatbelt. The bus was not carrying any passengers at the time of the accident. Later on the same day, the bus driver succumbed to his injuries. The cause of the crash continues to be under investigation. HPD states that this was the 12th Traffic Fatality on Oahu so far in 2026. Man, 59, dead following bus vs. tree crash .
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