US Judge Rules on Claims for Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max Crash Victims’ Relatives

In a significant development, a United States judge has granted permission for relatives of the victims who perished in the Boeing 737 MAX 8 Ethiopian Airlines crash to seek compensation. According to Reuters, the judge’s ruling allows the relatives to make claims for the pain and suffering experienced by their loved ones before the impact.

US District Judge Jorge L. Alonso, in his ruling, stated that there is sufficient evidence to support the inference that the passengers experienced fear and terror prior to the crash, which is considered part of the “process or manner of death.”

Boeing had already accepted liability for the crash in November 2021 after the victims’ relatives initiated civil legal proceedings. The company expressed its commitment to fully and fairly compensate all families who lost loved ones in the accidents and stated that accepting responsibility allows the parties to focus on determining appropriate compensation for each family.

The Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed on March 10, 2019, resulting in the tragic loss of 157 lives on board.