The beleaguered aviation titan Boeing is gearing up for yet another challenge as it heads into a civil trial next week regarding the devastating crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March 2019, which tragically claimed the lives of 157 individuals.
This trial, set to unfold in federal court in Chicago, initially featured six plaintiffs, but according to sources close to the case, “all but one” have reached settlements. This leaves just a lone plaintiff pressing forward with claims against the aviation giant.
Unless a last-minute agreement is struck, this trial marks Boeing’s first civil courtroom encounter linked to the MAX catastrophe.
Interestingly, even as proceedings commence, there remains a possibility for a settlement, provided it receives judicial approval.
The remaining plaintiffs consist of family members of Manisha Nukavarapu, a promising medical student from India, who was specializing in endocrinology at East Tennessee State University. She had a bright future ahead of her.
On the day of the tragedy, Ms. Nukavarapu boarded the ill-fated 737 MAX in Addis Ababa, aiming for Nairobi to visit her sister, who had just welcomed a new baby. However, just six minutes into the flight, which commenced on March 10, 2019, the aircraft tragically crashed, leaving no survivors.
And this isn’t an isolated incident. The Ethiopian Airlines disaster resulted in a devastating loss of 157 precious lives.
From April 2019 until March 2021, relatives of 155 victims underwent depositions in wrongful death lawsuits alleging negligence, as outlined in legal documents.
A legal source mentioned to AFP on October 22, “Currently, 30 cases are pending on behalf of 29 deceased individuals.” The ongoing litigation has been organized into distinct groups, with the next trial slated for April 2025, barring any settlements that could resolve the pending suits.
Boeing has publicly acknowledged its accountability regarding the MAX accidents. As an attorney for the company stated during an October 11 court hearing, the design flaws in the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) played a pivotal role in these tragic events.
MCAS was intended to assist with flight stability but malfunctioned in both the Ethiopian Airlines incident and the Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October 2018, which resulted in the deaths of 189 people.
The MAX series commenced commercial flights in May 2017 but encountered significant turbulence when the global fleet was grounded for nearly two years following the Ethiopian Airlines tragedy.
Boeing claims that over 90% of the legal battles linked to these crashes have been resolved, though they have not disclosed the full extent of the financial implications stemming from these lawsuits.
As one Boeing attorney remarked at a Texas courtroom on October 11, “Boeing has compensated crash victims and their legal representatives with billions of dollars amid civil litigation.” This court session also intersected with ongoing Department of Justice (DOJ) proceedings concerning criminal aspects related to the MAX.
In connection with the Lion Air crash, numerous plaintiffs have also been deposed, with 46 individuals legally represented by a Seattle-based law firm, Herrmann.
The Texas court proceedings focus on a recent deferred prosecution agreement reached with the DOJ following conclusions that Boeing had violated a $2.5 billion settlement made in January 2021 over fraud allegations tied to the MAX’s certification process.
Back in July, Boeing reached a plea agreement to admit guilt for fraud, but it’s noteworthy that this deal awaits acceptance from a federal judge before becoming official.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
