A major roadblock to the $4 billion global settlement for the Maui wildfires has been cleared. A lawyer representing victims says it could mean that survivors receive their first settlement payments by the end of the year.

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s Supreme Court ruled Monday that insurance companies can’t bring their own legal actions against those blamed for Maui’s catastrophic 2023 wildfire, the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. The ruling allows a $4 billion settlement under threat by insurance issues to move forward.

A historic settlement can begin flowing to people and businesses affected by the fire, but consequences for the insurance market are unclear.