Biography
For more than 30 years, Kristine Keala Meredith has represented individuals, families, businesses, and communities in some of the nation’s most significant wildfire, aviation, wrongful death, and catastrophic injury cases. As Managing Partner of Danko Meredith, she has litigated against major corporations and institutions in state and federal courts nationwide, including complex multidistrict litigation involving clients injured by defective products ranging from consumer goods to aircraft components.
Before representing plaintiffs, Kristine defended hospitals, physicians, medical device manufacturers, and corporate defendants in complex litigation and multidistrict cases. That experience on the other side of the courtroom gave Kristine an understanding of how defense teams build their case and where they look for weaknesses. She now uses that knowledge every day to anticipate defense strategy and maximize recovery for her clients.
A Native Hawaiian descendant with deep family roots on Maui, Kristine brought her skills home following the 2023 Lahaina Fire, representing Maui families and businesses in the litigation that followed. That litigation resulted in a recovery exceeding $4 billion for survivors — one of the largest wildfire recoveries in U.S. history. Kristine brings the same experience to California wildfire survivors today.
Kristine has spent her career preparing cases for trial and has served as trial counsel in numerous complex matters involving catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, product liability, and wildfire litigation. She is a capable and well-prepared trial lawyer who ensures every case she handles is ready to be presented to a jury.
California Wildfire and Utility Fire Litigation
Kristine is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading wildfire and utility disaster attorneys. She has represented thousands of wildfire survivors in some of California’s most devastating fires, including the Eaton, Moss Landing, Camp, Butte, Thomas, and North Bay Fires.
Her wildfire practice includes wrongful death, catastrophic injury, property loss, business interruption, and large-scale recovery efforts for homeowners, renters, businesses, and entire communities. She served on the trial team representing 59 victims of the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, one of California’s most significant utility disasters, and was a member of the trial team in the Butte Fire litigation.
Aviation Accident Litigation
Kristine has extensive experience representing victims and families in aviation accident and aircraft product liability cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death, including cases involving aircraft design defects, manufacturing failures, maintenance errors, component malfunctions, and operational negligence.
She served as trial counsel in Burdett v. Teledyne Continental Motors, an aircraft engine defect case in which the NTSB had cleared the manufacturer. Working alongside Mike Danko, Kristine developed much of the case that ultimately persuaded a jury otherwise, resulting in a $15 million verdict.
Kristine works closely with aviation experts, engineers, and accident reconstruction specialists to identify the causes of crashes and establish responsibility, with a goal not only of securing meaningful recovery for victims and their families, but of holding wrongdoers accountable and helping prevent future tragedies.
Other Catastrophic Injury and Wrongful Death Cases
Kristine has built a distinguished practice representing clients affected by catastrophic injuries and wrongful death, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, severe burn injuries, and dangerous and defective products.
She has particular depth in developing complex medical evidence in catastrophic injury cases, including representing the survivor of a private jet crash who suffered severe burn injuries requiring multiple reconstructive procedures and lifelong medical care, resulting in a confidential settlement. In Jing v. Sheng Hsiang Jen, a products liability case involving the wrongful death of a two-year-old child; she obtained rulings from the court that led to a $50 million recovery. She also served alonside Mike Danko as trial counsel in Dunn v. State of Hawaiʻi, a traumatic brain injury case that resulted in a $2.2 million judgment.
Kristine also played a key role in representing Susan Galinis alongside Mike Danko, unravelling the complex medical aspects of a catastrophic brain injury case by working closely with neurological, neurosurgical, rehabilitation, and life-care experts — ultimately securing a recovery exceeding 50 times the defendants’ final settlement offer.
