A grieving Maui mother says county officials belittled her son's death in court, a story that reflects badly on the county and on how it treats families of workers killed on the job.

• Trey Evans, a 24-year-old Maui firefighter, was pulled into a storm drain and died during heavy flooding in Kihei in 2023.
• His mother says a county lawyer described his death as a small matter and an injury during a hearing about getting county records, which she called retraumatizing.
• The county denies this, saying the comment was about a narrow legal point, not her son's life.
• Her lawsuit against the county was thrown out because workers' comp is the only option when an employee dies on the job, and Trey did not qualify since he had no dependents.
• She is now suing his supervisor and says she will settle for regular audits of the fire department plus $14 million, nearly all going to a nonprofit set up in her son's honor.

Outlook: The county has turned down her settlement offer repeatedly, so the case is heading toward trial.