Federal jury delivers $28 million verdict in Boeing 737 Max crash case
A Chicago federal court jury has awarded over $28 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a United Nations consultant who died in the March 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. The aircraft maker, Boeing, had already accepted responsibility for its role in the disaster.
The verdict was reached after just two hours of deliberation and caps a week-long trial. The jury's decision includes $10 million for Garg's "pain and suffering and emotional distress" before the crash. The family's lawyers said they were "gratified by the jury's verdict, which provides public accountability for Boeing's wrongful conduct."
The case was the first civil trial stemming from the 157-death disaster. As part of a deal reached outside of court, Boeing will pay an additional $3.45 million to Garg's husband, Soumya Bhattacharya.
Boeing has negotiated pre-trial settlements in most of the dozens of wrongful death lawsuits filed in connection with the crash and another similar incident off the coast of Indonesia. However, less than a dozen cases remain unresolved.
Garg was on her way to attend a U.N. environmental assembly in Nairobi, Kenya when the plane took off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Boeing had faced criticism for its handling of the disaster, including allegations that it downplayed the severity of the problem with the 737 Max's flight-control system.
Last year, the Justice Department said Boeing accepted a plea deal stemming from the crashes after determining the company violated an agreement that protected it from prosecution for more than three years. The deal only covers wrongdoing by Boeing involving the two deadly crashes and does not give the company immunity for other incidents.
The verdict comes as Boeing continues to face scrutiny over its safety record, including a recent incident in which a Max jetliner malfunctioned during an Alaska Airlines flight.
A Chicago federal court jury has awarded over $28 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a United Nations consultant who died in the March 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. The aircraft maker, Boeing, had already accepted responsibility for its role in the disaster.
The verdict was reached after just two hours of deliberation and caps a week-long trial. The jury's decision includes $10 million for Garg's "pain and suffering and emotional distress" before the crash. The family's lawyers said they were "gratified by the jury's verdict, which provides public accountability for Boeing's wrongful conduct."
The case was the first civil trial stemming from the 157-death disaster. As part of a deal reached outside of court, Boeing will pay an additional $3.45 million to Garg's husband, Soumya Bhattacharya.
Boeing has negotiated pre-trial settlements in most of the dozens of wrongful death lawsuits filed in connection with the crash and another similar incident off the coast of Indonesia. However, less than a dozen cases remain unresolved.
Garg was on her way to attend a U.N. environmental assembly in Nairobi, Kenya when the plane took off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Boeing had faced criticism for its handling of the disaster, including allegations that it downplayed the severity of the problem with the 737 Max's flight-control system.
Last year, the Justice Department said Boeing accepted a plea deal stemming from the crashes after determining the company violated an agreement that protected it from prosecution for more than three years. The deal only covers wrongdoing by Boeing involving the two deadly crashes and does not give the company immunity for other incidents.
The verdict comes as Boeing continues to face scrutiny over its safety record, including a recent incident in which a Max jetliner malfunctioned during an Alaska Airlines flight.
, considering Boeing already admitted their mistake and accepted responsibility for the crash. still, it's good that the family of Shikha Garg got some form of justice, $28 million might not be enough but its something 
. its also interesting to see how most wrongful death lawsuits are getting settled out of court 
. does this verdict mean Boeing will become more cautious with their new plane designs? or was it just a way to show they're taking responsibility for the crash 
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the company already took responsibility and paid out millions to other families, it feels like they're just passing the buck 
shikha garg's family deserves all that money 
it's been 4 years since the crash and her husband soumya is still struggling 
$28 million isn't enough to bring her back but at least it shows that someone is finally being held accountable for boeing's negligence 
this verdict is a step in the right direction, but there are so many more families who are waiting for justice 
. It's gonna be tough for them to regain trust, that's for sure 
I mean, can you even imagine losing someone and having to deal with all that emotional pain? It's like, Boeing just played with people's lives on purpose 
. And the fact that they accepted responsibility in the first place is kinda pathetic 
. At least now they can get some closure and move forward 
.
, at least partially, with this verdict. I'm glad the jury held them accountable for Shikha Garg's pain and suffering, but it's still not enough.
. And now there's another Max jetliner malfunctioning? Are you kidding me?! It's just so frustrating 
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gotta keep pushing for justice and holding these companies accountable 
no one should have to go thru that kind of tragedy in a plane crash... and yeah, it's not like boeing was gonna take responsibility for themselves anyway 
so glad this verdict gives them some closure 
what do you guys think about all the pre-trial settlements they're getting away with? feels kinda unfair 
. $28 million is a huge payout, but I'm sure the Garg family will take every penny to honor Shikha's memory 
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. Newsflash: we won't forget about the victims of 737 Max crashes 
. The verdict is a step in the right direction, but it's only the beginning 
. We need to keep pushing for more accountability and transparency from Boeing 
. They should be held to a higher standard 
. Justice for Shikha Garg and all the other victims of these crashes 
.
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. Overall, this verdict serves as a reminder that corporate accountability must be maintained, and those responsible for such catastrophic events should be held liable