A federal jury in Chicago on Wednesday ordered Boeing to pay more than $28 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a 32-year-old United Nations environmental worker who died in the 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. The verdict marks the first jury decision among the dozens of wrongful-death lawsuits stemming from the two Boeing 737 MAX disasters that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019.
Under a settlement reached hours after the verdict, Garg’s family will receive a total of $35.85 million, which includes the full award plus 26% interest. Boeing also agreed not to appeal, finalizing one of the most high-profile cases tied to the MAX crisis.
A Boeing spokeswoman reiterated the company’s condolences, saying the planemaker remains “deeply sorry to all who lost loved ones on the two flights.”
“While we have resolved the vast majority of these claims through settlements, families are entitled to pursue their claims through damages trials in court, and we respect their right to do so,” she said.
Attorneys Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford, who represented Garg’s family, said the ruling delivers long-awaited accountability.
“This verdict provides public accountability for Boeing’s wrongful conduct,” they said.
Garg was among the 157 passengers and crew killed when Flight 302 crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, just months after the Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia claimed 189 lives.
Investigators found both tragedies were caused by erroneous sensor readings that triggered the MAX’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS)—a software that repeatedly pushed the aircraft’s nose downward, leaving pilots unable to regain control.
Lawsuits allege Boeing rushed the MAX into service, concealed safety risks, and failed to properly train pilots or alert regulators to shortcomings in the aircraft’s design.
The twin disasters grounded the 737 MAX worldwide for nearly two years and triggered intense congressional scrutiny, criminal investigations, and what many experts describe as Boeing’s worst corporate crisis.
In 2021, Boeing reached a $2.5 billion deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Justice Department, including a criminal penalty and compensation for victims’ families.
The company says it has settled more than 90 percent of civil claims tied to the two crashes. Earlier this month, Boeing quietly resolved three additional lawsuits filed by families of Ethiopian victims. Terms were not disclosed.
The Chicago verdict is expected to serve as a reference point for remaining lawsuits still pending in U.S. courts. It also renews scrutiny of Boeing’s safety culture, decision-making, and oversight failures surrounding the MAX program—issues that continue to loom over the company as it tries to rebuild public trust.
Garg’s husband, an Indian government official, filed the lawsuit on behalf of their family, alleging Boeing knowingly allowed a defective aircraft to fly and failed to protect passengers.
With Wednesday’s decision, families of MAX crash victims now have the first public jury assessment of Boeing’s responsibility — a moment many consider a milestone in the search for justice.
