A wrongful death lawsuit has been launched by the family of an actor renowned for his role in “Hawaii Five-0,” alleging that a Las Vegas company is accountable for the injuries leading to his demise.
Taylor Tuli Wily, known for portraying confidential informant Kamekona Tupuola on “Hawaii Five-0” and appearing in the “Magnum P.I.” reboot from 2010 to 2020, as well as playing a hotel employee in the 2008 film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” was severely injured this year.
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Actor Taylor Wily, also known as Teila Tuli, gestures to fans after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers in Seattle on June 14, 2014. Wily, an actor known for his roles on “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I,” has died at 56. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
The lawsuit indicates that on October 3, 2023, Wily suffered severe injuries when a wheelchair lift malfunctioned as he was being placed into a van for non-medical transport close to an office complex at 3012 S. Durango Drive.
The lawsuit details that as a consequence of the lift’s failure, “Mr. Wily fell from the platform, hitting the ground, and injuring his body and the back of his head on the pavement.”
Wily, 56, died on June 20, 2024, in Hurricane, Utah, where his family now lives. He was a Clark County, Nevada, resident when he was injured.
Filed on September 26 in Clark County District Court, the lawsuit names GMTCare, LLC, some unidentified employees, and other unknown business entities as defendants. It is filed by Richard D. Young of the Richard Harris Law Firm on behalf of Wily’s widow, Halona, and their children.
The suit requests a jury trial and seeks more than $50,000 in damages for Wily’s estate and his family due to “grief, sorrow, and loss of probable support, companionship, comfort, and society.” The filing also asks for court costs and any additional relief the court may consider appropriate.
Nexstar’s KLAS has reached out to GMTCare for comment.
GMTCare is headquartered in Las Vegas, with offices also in Reno, Phoenix and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
According to a report from The Associated Press, Wily was also known for his place in UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) history: “Before he began acting, Wily, born Teila Tuli, was a well-known sumo wrestler and UFC 1 fighter. He became the first knockout victim in UFC history in 1993 when opponent Gerard Gordeau’s kick knocked a tooth clear out of Wily’s mouth, ending the fight after just 26 seconds.”
It was Wily’s only MMA fight.
Wily performed as an amateur sumo wrestler in Japan under the name Takamikuni in the late ’80s, according to his profile on IMDb.
