Boeing Ordered to Pay $35.85 Million to Family of UN Worker Killed in Ethiopian Airlines Crash

A federal jury in Chicago has ordered Boeing to pay more than $28 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a United Nations environmental worker killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash. Under a settlement reached Wednesday, Garg’s family will receive $35.85 million, including 26% interest, with Boeing agreeing not to appeal the verdict, according to the family’s attorneys.

The case marks the first verdict among dozens of lawsuits following the twin Boeing 737 MAX tragedies—the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash and the 2018 Lion Air crash in Indonesia—which together claimed 346 lives. Garg, aged 32, was among the victims aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi, Kenya.

Attorneys Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford, representing the Garg family, stated that the verdict delivers “public accountability for Boeing’s wrongful conduct.” The lawsuit argued that the 737 MAX was defectively designed and that Boeing failed to warn passengers and the public about its safety risks.

A Boeing spokesperson expressed condolences, saying the company is “deeply sorry to all who lost loved ones” and noted that most claims have been resolved through settlements. However, the company respects families’ rights to pursue their cases in court.

Both the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes were linked to flaws in an automated flight control system, later identified as a critical factor in the accidents. Boeing has since settled over 90% of related lawsuits, paying out billions in compensation through legal settlements and federal agreements.

Earlier this month, Boeing also settled three additional lawsuits tied to the Ethiopian Airlines crash, though the terms remain confidential.