Boeing settles lawsuit from deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash, avoiding jury trial

Boeing has settled a lawsuit brought by the families of victims who died when their 737 Max 8 jet crashed minutes after takeoff in Ethiopia six years ago. While the terms of the settlement have not been released, Boeing reached the deal with plaintiffs right before jury selection got underway inside a Chicago courtroom.

The settlement means family members of the 157 people killed avoid what was supposed to be two weeks of emotional testimony—both sides arguing how much in damages to award each family member.

“I’m happy for our client,” said Mark Lindquist, an attorney representing Aimee Belanger, whose husband, Darcy Belanger, 46, died. “She stood her ground. We are satisfied with the resolution, accountability, and closure.”

Trial not about Boeing’s guilt in fatal crash

The trial wasn’t meant to establish Boeing’s guilt, as the company had already acknowledged its wrongdoing in ongoing negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice. Instead, the purpose of the trial was to have a jury decide the financial compensation Boeing should provide to the surviving family members for the pain and suffering caused by the loss of their loved ones.

The crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 and a Lion Air crash in late 2018 killed 189 people in Indonesia, prompting all Max 8s to be grounded for two years. Federal investigators ultimately determined Boeing executives were found to have lied to federal regulators about a flight control system on the Ethiopian Airlines jet, called MCAS, that forced the nose of the 737 to pitch downward minutes after takeoff.

Boeing has said it was deeply saddened by the loss of life. During Monday’s trial, because the victims died instantly, Boeing was ready to argue they didn’t suffer, therefore their families were not entitled to financial compensation.

Boeing still faces criminal charges from the U.S. Department of Justice. Boeing pleaded guilty to a charge of defrauding the federal government over the 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019. In December, a judge rejected the plea agreement over concerns with a required diversity consideration for hiring the independent monitor to oversee Boeing’s compliance. The Wall Street Journal has reported Boeing was re-negotiating a new plea deal with the DOJ before the trial is scheduled to begin in July.

“This crash was preventable,” Lindquist said about the crash in Ethiopia. “Sometimes a jury trial is necessary for full accountability.”

Lindquist also represents numerous victims’ families impacted by the Boeing Max 9 incident that involved a door plug that blew off an Alaska Airlines flight shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, last year.

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