Boeing Ordered to Pay $28 Million to Family of 737 Max Crash Victim

A federal jury in Chicago has ordered Boeing to pay more than $28 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a United Nations environmental worker who was killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash that claimed 157 lives. The ruling, delivered on November 12, marks the first jury verdict among dozens of lawsuits stemming from the two deadly 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that together killed 346 people.

Under a settlement reached shortly after the verdict, Garg’s family will receive $35.85 million — the full award plus 26% interest — and Boeing agreed not to appeal the decision, according to attorneys representing the family.

“This verdict provides public accountability for Boeing’s wrongful conduct,” said attorneys Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford, who represented the Garg family. Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Background: The 737 Max Crashes

Shikha Garg, 32, was among the passengers aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019, while en route to Nairobi, Kenya. The tragedy occurred just five months after another 737 Max jet — Lion Air Flight 610 — plunged into the Java Sea off Indonesia in October 2018.

Investigations into both crashes revealed that a flawed automated flight control system, known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), repeatedly forced the aircrafts’ noses downward, leading to loss of control. The lawsuits against Boeing alleged that the company designed the system defectively and failed to adequately warn regulators, pilots, and passengers of its dangers.

Legal and Financial Fallout

Boeing has faced extensive legal and financial consequences following the crashes. The U.S. planemaker has settled more than 90% of the civil lawsuits related to the accidents, paying out billions of dollars through legal settlements, a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, and other compensation programs.

On November 5, Boeing also settled three additional lawsuits brought by the families of victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash. The company did not disclose the settlement terms.

The latest Chicago verdict, however, represents a rare case where Boeing was ordered to pay damages following a full trial — a development seen by legal experts as an important step in ensuring accountability.

Ongoing Repercussions

The twin crashes led to the global grounding of the 737 Max fleet for nearly two years, prompting a massive overhaul of Boeing’s safety protocols, management structure, and regulatory oversight. While the aircraft has since been cleared to fly, Boeing continues to face reputational and operational challenges as it works to rebuild public trust.

The ruling in the Garg family case highlights the continuing fallout from one of the darkest chapters in aviation history and serves as a stark reminder of the human toll behind Boeing’s engineering and corporate failures.

As other pending lawsuits make their way through U.S. courts, the verdict may set a precedent for future claims related to the 737 Max disasters — and reinforces the growing legal and financial pressure on Boeing to fully address the consequences of its design flaws and decision-making failures. 

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com, reuters.com