More than six years after a tragic Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia that claimed the lives of all 157 people on board, the first civil trial connected to the disaster is now underway. The trial, taking place in Chicago, involves two remaining wrongful death lawsuits filed by the families of victims. Boeing has already settled many other cases related to the March 2019 crash but continues to face legal proceedings in a few disputes.
The crash happened shortly after Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 took off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Among the victims were Mercy Ndivo, a 28-year-old mother from Kenya who had just earned a master’s degree in accountancy, and Shikha Garg, a 36-year-old United Nations consultant from India. Both left behind grieving families, including Ndivo’s infant daughter and Garg’s husband and parents.
Boeing has accepted responsibility for this crash and a related 737 Max crash off Indonesia five months earlier, which killed 189 people. However, this trial is not about Boeing’s liability — that is already acknowledged. Instead, the jury’s job is to decide how much compensation Boeing should pay to these families.
From the moment the plane took off, pilots faced serious problems. A device called a stick shaker warned of a potential stall by shaking the captain’s controls, and for six minutes, alarms went off as the pilots struggled to control the plane. The aircraft eventually nosedived at nearly 700 miles per hour.
Investigations and U.S. prosecutors later accused Boeing of hiding details about a flight-control system designed for the 737 Max. This software repeatedly pushed the plane’s nose down based on faulty sensor data. Boeing faces federal charges of conspiracy to commit fraud but has reached a pending agreement with the Justice Department that could avoid prosecution if approved. The deal includes Boeing paying or investing $1.1 billion in fines, compensation, and safety improvements.
The current trial in Chicago comes as Boeing has since moved its headquarters to Arlington, Virginia. The two lawsuits proceeding now were narrowed from five because of a recent government shutdown. While many other cases have been settled quietly, 14 lawsuits still await resolution.
Lawyers representing the victims’ families say they tried to settle before trial but failed, and they are committed to seeking justice through the courts. Boeing has expressed sorrow for the losses and insists it remains committed to fairly compensating those affected.
As opening statements were set to begin, the families, the company, and the jury face a difficult process in assigning value to lives lost in one of the most tragic aviation events in recent memory. The trial will be closely watched, as it marks a significant step in the long journey toward closure for the victims’ families.