The Hawaii court rules against insurance companies in the Maui forest fire, allowing the $ 4B agreement to continue

Honolulu (AP) – The Supreme Court of Hawaii ruled on Monday that insurance companies cannot bring their own legal actions against those blamed by the catastrophic fire of 2023 of Maui, the most mortal in the United States in more than a century. The failure allows a Liquidation of $ 4 billion under threat due to insurance problems to advance.

Other steps are left to finish the agreement between thousands of people who filed demands and several defendants, including Hawaiian Electric Company.

An agreement was announced last summer, but insurance companies were maintained, insisting that they should have the right to chase the defendants separately to recover the money paid to the insured.

Monday’s ruling resolves a key obstacle to finish the agreement and sends the case to a Maui judge to determine the next steps.

A representative of insurance companies said he would return to The Associated Press to comment on the ruling and if they will request a review in the United States Supreme Court.

A key question that was before Supreme Court of Hawaii It was whether the state laws that control the reimbursement of the medical care insurance also apply to the insurance of victims and properties to limit the capacity of the companies to carry out independent legal actions against those responsible. The judges responded yes.

Gerald Singleton, one of the lawyers who represent the plaintiffs, said they are still trying to make sense of the ruling, but are satisfied with him. “Now the agreement can take the next step forward,” he said.

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