An American jury on Friday discovered Boeing not responsible in a lawsuit introduced by the Polish firm LOT for misplaced income attributable to the 20-month grounding of 737 MAX planes following two air disasters.
LOT accused Boeing of fraud and sought $250 million in damages from it for inflicting it to lose income with “misrepresentations and deliberate and negligent omissions relating to the 737 MAX plane,” in accordance with the grievance initially filed.
The jury on this trial, which was held in federal courtroom in Seattle (northwest), nevertheless, discovered that this was not the case, in accordance with courtroom paperwork consulted by AFP.
“We’re happy with the jury’s verdict in our favor,” a Boeing spokesperson stated in an announcement to AFP.
LOT’s claims adopted the 20-month immobilization by order of the USA Civil Aviation Administration (FAA) of all 737 MAXs operated worldwide, between March 2019 and November 2020.
This determination was taken after the crashes of a Lion Air 737 MAX 8 on October 29, 2018 and an Ethiopian Airways plane on March 10, 2019, which left 346 lifeless in whole.
Boeing then admitted in 2019 that anti-stall software program had contributed to those accidents.
LOT, which was the primary airline to take the American plane producer to courtroom on this topic, stated it “takes be aware” of the judgment.
“The corporate will research the choices obtainable to take different authorized steps on this matter,” she stated in a press launch despatched to AFP.
Dozens of complaints
In her grievance filed in October 2021, she accused the American producer of inflicting her monetary hurt because of flight cancellations, storage prices for grounded planes and salaries owed to staff who ought to have labored on these planes.
She accused Boeing of “materials misrepresentations and omissions” regarding the 737 MAX, the producer’s newest addition which “determinedly satisfied” her to decide on this mannequin as an alternative of the 737 NG predecessor that she initially coveted.
Boeing can be the topic of dozens of complaints filed by households of victims of the 737 MAX crashes, nearly all of which resulted in settlements out of courtroom.
On Might 14, a Chicago courtroom awarded damages of $49.5 million to the family of a 24-year-old American lady killed within the Ethiopian Airways accident.
The very first civil trial in opposition to Boeing linked to the 2 accidents passed off in November 2025. The jury awarded $28.45 million in compensation to the widower of a sufferer.
The following one is ready for August 3, relating to the loss of life of one other passenger on the Ethiopian Airways flight, Michael Ryan, an Irish engineer with the UN World Meals Program (WFP).
In regards to the Lion Air accident, all complaints resulted in amicable settlements. The final one, regarding the one foreigner on the flight, a 26-year-old Italian, was concluded on the finish of February.
After many twists and turns since 2021, a Texas choose ordered on November 6, 2025 the dropping of legal fees in opposition to Boeing for the 2 accidents.
