Chicago Jury Awards $28.45M to Newlywed's Family in Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX Crash

A federal jury in Chicago has ordered Boeing to pay $28.45 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a newlywed from New Delhi who died in the March 2019 Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash. The verdict, returned after roughly two hours of deliberation, is the first civil trial verdict related to the Ethiopian Airlines disaster following numerous earlier settlements.

Verdict and damages

The jury's award includes $10 million for grief, $10 million for pain and suffering, and additional sums that bring the total to $28.45 million. Plaintiffs had sought between $80 million and $230 million, while Boeing had asked for $11.95 million.

Background of the crash

The lawsuits stem from Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which departed Addis Ababa on March 10, 2019, and crashed about six minutes after takeoff en route to Nairobi, killing all 157 people on board. The Flight 302 crash was one of two fatal 737 MAX accidents — together accounting for 346 lives lost — that prompted global investigations, regulatory action and numerous civil claims.

Boeing response and courtroom remarks

Boeing issued a statement expressing sorrow for the families of victims of both Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, and noted that while the company has resolved the majority of claims through settlements, families retain the right to pursue damages in court.

In closing arguments, Boeing attorney Dan Webb addressed the courtroom directly and conveyed the company's remorse to the family. Webb urged jurors to focus on what he described as "fair and reasonable" compensation and reminded them, consistent with the judge's instructions, that the trial's purpose was compensation rather than punishment.

Plaintiffs' case and human impact

Plaintiffs' attorney Shanin Specter emphasized the loss of Garg's future potential and the impact on her widower, Soumya Bhattacharya, who accepted the jury's verdict. Bhattacharya had testified about his late wife, calling her a "brilliant" professional who worked for the United Nations Development Programme and was traveling to a UN Environment Assembly when she died. Specter told jurors that part of Bhattacharya's grief is that he will not see her realize her promising career.

Significance

Garg's case was the first MAX-related civil trial to go before a jury after Boeing reached dozens of settlements with victims' families from both the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes. Although Boeing has acknowledged responsibility in the Ethiopian Airlines matter and agreed it owed damages to survivors, this trial determined the amount of compensation for Garg's estate.

"We happily accept the verdict. We came here for a jury trial and it's absolutely acceptable," said Soumya Bhattacharya after the decision.

The decision underscores the continuing legal, financial and human consequences of the 737 MAX disasters and highlights the role of juries in awarding individualized compensation even after broader corporate settlements.