Tragic Nairobi-bound flight turns into Sh4.6 billion payout for victim's family

A federal court jury in Chicago has delivered a landmark verdict, ordering aviation giant Boeing to pay substantial damages to the family of a victim of the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 disaster. 

The ruling marks the first case from the 737 MAX tragedies to be decided by a civil trial, bringing a moment of public accountability for the company.

The verdict was awarded to the family of Shikha Garg, a 32-year-old United Nations environmental consultant who was among the 157 people killed when the brand-new 737 MAX jet crashed minutes after takeoff heading to Nairobi.

While the jury initially awarded the family over $28 million in compensation for grief, pain and suffering, and financial loss, a subsequent agreement struck by the parties raised the total payout. 

Under this deal, which includes pre-trial settlements and interest, Boeing will pay Garg's family approximately $35.85 million, with the company agreeing not to appeal the decision.

A Test of Accountability

The trial held significant weight as most of the dozens of wrongful death lawsuits related to the Ethiopian Airlines crash and the preceding 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 tragedy have been resolved through confidential, out-of-court settlements.

Crucially, the Chicago jury was not tasked with determining Boeing's liability. The aircraft manufacturer had already accepted responsibility for the crash, which was linked to a faulty automated flight control system known as MCAS (Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System). 

Instead, the week-long trial focused solely on the amount of financial damages appropriate for the family's immense loss.

Attorneys representing Garg’s family welcomed the decision, stating that the verdict "provides public accountability for Boeing’s wrongful conduct."

Boeing, which has already settled over 90% of the civil claims related to the 737 MAX accidents, issued a statement expressing its apologies to all the victims' families and acknowledging their right to seek compensation through the courts. 

The resolution of this case sets a significant public benchmark for the value of loss in the remaining few unresolved lawsuits tied to the 737 MAX crisis.