Chicago – Boeing resolved two cases ahead of the first civil trial related to the fatal Boeing 737 maximum crash, according to a law firm representing one of the passengers who died in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines 302 crash.
The trial was scheduled to take place in federal court in Chicago and was scheduled to select a ju judge, which is scheduled to begin Monday.
The focus of the incident was to determine “fair and reasonable compensation” for the families of crashes after all 157 people were on board as a result of the conflict.
“We are pleased with our clients,” said Mark Lindquist, lawyer for Amie Berenger, wife of Darcy Berenger, who passed away on the Ethiopian Airlines 302 flight.
According to Lindquist, the terms of the settlement are confidential.
The trial is expected to last two weeks, with an opening statement focusing on the damages Boeing has incurred on the victim's family.
“Of the 157 people who died in the crash, there are still cases where 18 deceaseds are pending,” Lindquist wrote in a press release. “The next trial will be set for July this year.”
Chicago's US military captain Antoine Lewis and Berranger, directors of PCL construction in Denver, both participated in their fateful Ethiopian Airlines flights in March 2019.
According to lawyers representing both families, Lewis was heading to Africa to study opportunities to launch a logistics business, and was about to clash with the military for 20 years. He leaves behind his wife and two sons.
Belanger is a founding member of an environmental nonprofit and was planning to fly to the United Nations Environmental Parliament where he was scheduled to speak. He is survived by both his wife and parents.
“The deepest tragedy of the E302 disaster is that it simply doesn't have to happen, and the catastrophic loss of Antoine Luis and 156 other souls can be completely prevented,” said Antonio Romanucci, representing Lewis' family. “This settlement will provide a measure of closure for Lewis' widow, Jarena Lopez Luis, but will never make up for this heartbreaking, life-changing loss in his family.”
In a statement from Komo News, Boeing said more than 90% of claims from the two 737 maximum crashes from 2018 and 2019 have settled.
“We are deeply sorry to all those who lost their loved ones on the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302,” Boeing said in a statement. “We paid advances to fully and fairly compensate our families and accepted legal liability for the accident.”
“We will continue to strive to resolve the family's claims fairly,” Boeing added.
Boeing CEO Kelly Autoberg recently attended a Senate committee and acknowledged the company's past failures.
Autoberg also defended Boeing's efforts to improve safety, particularly after the door plug incident that was blown away during the 737's maximum flight last year.
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“I want to ensure this never happens again, as I express my personal sadness for the painful loss of our aircraft and provide a pledge to make necessary changes,” Autoberg said.
Boeing took responsibility for the crash in an agreement with a family that lost a loved one in 2021. Boeing was responsible, so the company said in a statement that the cases resolved “focus on the amount of payments.”
Court records show that the 2021 settlement does not include monetary compensation for families, but the agreement allowed the victim's family to pursue separate claims in US courts on behalf of their home country.
Boeing argued that the family had no right to financial compensation as the victim died immediately.
