It has been roughly a years and a half since the devastating fire killed 102 people on the island of Maui and left many others homeless.

Yet the legal ramifications of that disaster are still being felt, with Hawaii's Supreme Court ruling earlier this week that insurance companies are banned from suing those responsible. 

Insurers barred from participating in $4 billion settlement

According to USA Today, the unanimous decision was released on Monday by Hawaii's highest judicial body, leading to complaints from insurance industry lawyer Adam Romney.

"We will have to pay more than the people who actually caused the damage and that is fundamentally inequitable," Romney was quoted as saying in his arguments.

However, the justices concluded that state law only permits insurers to request that they be reimbursed by those whom they insure.

In contrast, the ruling was met with praise in a statement put out by Hawaii Democratic Gov. Josh Green, who expressed gratitude that fire victims can now receive their $4 billion dollar settlement.

Governor says decision "will help our people heal"

"The settlement came exactly one year after the fire occurred, when most felt it could take five years or more to reach agreement," Green's statement read.

"Today’s decision will help our people heal much sooner, as we continue to rebuild and recover," the governor went on to add.

"Going forward I will continue to work with all parties, including those who opposed the settlement, to expedite our critical recovery as a people and a state," he stressed.

Meanwhile, law firms representing over 1,000 people who were affected by the fire provided a statement of their to USA Today.

Report blames fire on "re-energization" of broken power lines

It noted how the Hawaii Legislature "decided this issue a long time ago and created a mechanism for settlement of insurers' claims for reimbursement."

"But the mainland insurance companies didn’t want to follow that law," it continued before adding that while "the people of Maui have suffered immensely, today some justice has prevailed."

USA Today reported in October that a 300-page report put out by the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) blamed the fire on "re-energization" of broken power lines.

"In sum, the origin and cause of the Lahaina fire is clear: the re-energization of broken power lines caused sparks that ignited unmaintained vegetation in the area," Fire Chief Brad Ventura said at a news conference.