New York Times: Judge Awards $680,000 to Military Families Sickened by Jet Fuel Spill in Hawaii

Just Well Law is an Austin-based legal firm specializing in environmental toxin cases, led by national trial lawyer Kristina Baehr.

On May 9, 2025, the New York Times reported on a federal judge awarding $682,218 to 17 individuals who were poisoned by jet fuel-contaminated drinking water at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Oahu, Hawai’i. This ruling is a historic acknowledgment of the suffering endured by military families and civilians alike.

Toxic torts attorney, Kristina Baehr, knows, because she stood beside them.

This case was never just about money, it was about truth and accountability. It was about people, military moms and dads, service members and children. People who trusted their government to keep them safe and instead were exposed to petroleum-tainted water in their homes, schools, and daycares. They were poisoned, and they were silenced.

Now, they’ve been heard.

A Jet Fuel Spill That Should Never Have Happened

In November 2021, families stationed at Pearl Harbor began reporting strange odors and tastes in their drinking water - “it smelled like gas,” they told the Navy. Children began vomiting. Adults suffered headaches, sore throats, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Even pets fell ill. But despite these mounting symptoms, the military delayed issuing a warning.

When the truth came out, it was staggering: the Navy had allowed a catastrophic fuel leak from its Red Hill storage facility, contaminating the water supply with fuel components up to 350 times the legal safety limit.

Underground aquifers supply all of Oahu’s drinking water. The contamination wasn’t just a military mistake - it was a threat to an entire island’s public health infrastructure. And yet, the Navy insisted for months that the water was safe. That the symptoms were “in their heads” and that it wasn’t that bad.

We now know better.

Fighting Gaslighting with Truth

The government’s defense? They said our clients’ symptoms were psychosomatic. They claimed there wasn’t enough jet fuel in the water to cause illness. They paid so-called experts to spin a narrative that defied both science and common sense.

Kristina Baehr isn't new to this tactic - it's the same pattern in every environmental exposure case. When people get sick, corporations (and in this case, the military) tell them it’s all in their minds.

At Just Well Law, in Austin, Texas, we don’t accept that. We don’t accept voodoo science. We don’t accept dismissing the voices of families who know their own bodies, who know when something is wrong. And when the system is stacked against the vulnerable, we fight harder.

That’s why we tried this case. These 17 plaintiffs were the first to go to trial, but they represent over 7,500 others - families who trusted us to seek justice. We asked the judge to consider the facts, to weigh the evidence, and to acknowledge what these families have endured.

A Personal Mission Turned National Movement

When national trial attorney, Kristina Baehr, first heard about the Red Hill contamination, she had just started Just Well Law. She flew to Hawai’i for a town hall, thinking she'd meet five families, maybe ten but left with over 7,000 clients.

People kept coming because no one else was listening. And because Kristina had been there. After toxic mold exposure sickened her own family in Austin, Texas, she learned firsthand how hard it is to find legal help for environmental illness. That experience is what drove her to open her own firm, and it’s what fueled this fight.

The Real Cost of Poisoned Water

Major Mandy Feindt, our lead plaintiff, is an active-duty Army officer and a proud patriot.

She’s served this country for 19 years, including in Afghanistan. Her husband has endured multiple surgeries, internal bleeding, and permanent gastrointestinal damage. Her 7-year-old daughter struggles with neurological trauma and has developed a phobia of water. Her 5-year-old son has lung damage and chemical burns.

As a mother, Mandy said it best: “When they failed to warn us, they took away my right to protect my children.”

That’s the core of this case. These families weren’t just poisoned. They were denied information. They were denied agency and dignity. And they fought back.

A Ruling with Mixed Emotions

So what does the $680,000 award mean?

It’s validation. It’s acknowledgment. It’s a judicial record that says these families were harmed, and that the harm was real. And for that, we are grateful.

But let’s be clear: these numbers - ranging from $3,000 to $104,000 per plaintiff - do not reflect the severity of their injuries or the years of medical treatment they face. Our legal team had sought between $225,000 and $1.25 million per plaintiff. We submitted medical records, scientific evidence, and expert testimony to support those claims. We expected the judge to meet the facts with a level of damages that matched the suffering.

Yes, the ruling sets a precedent for thousands of pending cases. Yes, we’ve established a legal foundation that the Navy can no longer deny. But these numbers fall far short of what justice demands.

And so, we continue.

We Are Not Done

This trial was only the beginning. Thousands of cases remain. Just Well Law will appeal this ruling if needed. We will try more cases if needed. We will continue to gather evidence, support families, and bring the truth to light.

Kristina founded Just Well Law to stand in the gap between the harmed and the powerful. This fight in Hawai’i has confirmed that calling in every way. We are trial lawyers. We are justice-seekers. We are the voice of the sick, the silenced, and the ignored.

To every family still waiting for their day in court: we see you. We believe you. And we will not stop.

As one of our clients, Sloane Kiuilani, said through tears after the ruling: “This ruling is historic. It’s validation. It’s acknowledgment. It’s accountability. The government is meant to protect us, not harm us. And we made it clear. We will not stand for it.”

Neither will Just Well Law.

Read the article in the New York Times.

Kristina Baehr is the founder of Just Well Law, a national law firm based in Austin, Texas, representing families harmed by toxic exposures. She is a trial lawyer, a mother, and a relentless advocate for the truth.