A U.S. federal jury in Chicago has ordered Boeing to pay over $28 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a United Nations environmental worker who died in the 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX jet.
The verdict marks the first judgment among dozens of lawsuits stemming from the two fatal 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019 — that claimed a total of 346 lives.
According to attorneys representing the family, Boeing agreed not to appeal the verdict. Under a negotiated deal, the Garg family will receive $35.85 million, which includes the full award amount and 26% interest.
Boeing expressed sympathy to victims’ families in a statement following the ruling. “We are deeply sorry to all who lost loved ones on the two flights,” a company spokeswoman said. “While we have resolved the vast majority of these claims through settlements, families are also entitled to pursue their claims through damages trials in court, and we respect their right to do so.”
Also Read: Ethiopia Wins Bid to Host 2027 COP32 Climate Summit
Family attorneys Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford described the verdict as “public accountability for Boeing’s wrongful conduct.”
Garg, 32, was among 157 passengers killed when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi, Kenya. The lawsuit alleged that the aircraft was defectively designed and that Boeing failed to warn passengers and regulators of its dangers.
The Ethiopian Airlines tragedy occurred five months after a similar crash involving Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia. Investigators linked both crashes to a faulty automated flight control system known as MCAS.
Boeing has settled more than 90% of the civil lawsuits related to the accidents, paying billions of dollars in compensation. Earlier this month, the company reached additional settlements with the families of three more victims from the Ethiopian crash, though the terms were not disclosed.
