The first civil trial over the deadly Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia began this week in Chicago, marking a pivotal moment for the families of the 157 victims and the American aerospace giant itself. More than six years after Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 plummeted to the ground, a federal jury is now tasked with determining how much Boeing must pay to the family of one of the passengers who lost their lives on that tragic day in March 2019.
The courtroom proceedings, which opened on November 5, 2025, were expected to address compensation for the families of two women who died in the crash. But in a dramatic turn just before opening statements, one of those cases was settled out of court. According to Associated Press and ABC News, U.S. District Judge Jorge Luis Alonso was notified of the settlement involving the family of Mercy Ndivo, a 28-year-old mother originally from Kenya. Fredrick Musau Ndivo, Mercy's father, expressed his gratitude in court, telling the judge, "We are grateful. We wish you the best and wish the legal system of America to hold up the rights and justice for the people for all walks of life."
While the details of the settlement remain confidential, the family’s attorney, Robert Clifford, who represents many of the crash victims’ relatives, revealed that two more pending cases had also been resolved in recent days. With most wrongful death lawsuits against Boeing now settled, fewer than a dozen remain unresolved, as reported by both AP and ABC News.
The trial proceeding this week centers on the death of Shikha Garg, a United Nations consultant who was en route to a U.N. environmental assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, when the plane crashed. Garg, a citizen of India and a newlywed, is survived by her husband and parents. Her story, like so many others from that ill-fated flight, is a stark reminder of the human cost behind the headlines.
During opening statements, Shanin Specter, the attorney representing Garg’s family, painted a vivid picture of a talented and beloved young woman. He described Garg as "a beautiful person inside and out," and showed jurors a photograph of her beaming in traditional Indian bridal attire, taken just months before her death. Specter called the loss "senseless" and "preventable," underscoring the depth of the family’s grief and the magnitude of what was taken from them. Displaying a haunting image of the "enormous crater" left by the crash, Specter told the jury, "Money is an entirely inadequate substitute for the life of Shikha Garg."
But the trial is not about assigning blame—Boeing has already accepted responsibility for the Ethiopian Airlines crash and for a similar 737 Max disaster off the coast of Indonesia less than five months earlier. Instead, the jury’s role is to determine the appropriate amount of damages to be awarded to Garg’s family. This includes compensation for burial expenses, loss of income, and the immeasurable grief suffered by her loved ones.
Boeing’s defense, led by attorney Dan Webb, a former U.S. attorney, is focused on ensuring that any compensation awarded is "fair and reasonable." Webb told jurors that expert testimony would be presented on the mechanics of the crash, specifically G-force data, to address a contentious issue: whether Shikha Garg experienced physical pain before the impact. Because there were no survivors, Webb argued, the best insight into what happened in those final moments comes from expert analysis of the crash dynamics. "There would not have been time for them to feel any physical pain when they hit the ground," Webb asserted, as reported by AP and ABC News.
The harrowing final minutes of Flight 302 were detailed for the court. From the moment the Ethiopian Airlines pilots lifted off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, they faced a barrage of problems. A device known as a stick shaker began vibrating the captain’s control column, signaling that the plane might stall. For six agonizing minutes, the cockpit was filled with alarms as the pilots struggled to control the aircraft. Ultimately, the plane entered a steep nosedive and slammed into the earth at nearly 700 miles per hour, leaving no chance for survival.
This trial is the latest chapter in years of legal and regulatory turmoil for Boeing. The 737 Max crashes—first in Indonesia in late 2018 and then in Ethiopia—sparked outrage and led to global scrutiny of the company’s practices. U.S. prosecutors charged Boeing with conspiracy to commit fraud, alleging that the company had deceived government regulators about a flight-control system developed for the 737 Max. In both crashes, faulty readings from a single sensor caused the software to repeatedly push the nose of the planes downward, ultimately leading to disaster.
Now, Boeing is seeking to avoid criminal prosecution by agreeing to pay or invest an additional $1.1 billion. This sum is earmarked for fines, compensation for victims’ families, and improvements to internal safety and quality systems. The Justice Department has asked a federal judge in Texas to dismiss the felony charge and approve the agreement. If the judge signs off, Boeing would sidestep a criminal trial, but the company’s reputation remains deeply scarred by the tragedies.
The legal proceedings in Chicago are expected to last about ten days, though a settlement in Garg’s case could still be reached at any time. For the families involved, the trial is more than a matter of financial compensation—it is an opportunity for public acknowledgment of their loss and a measure of justice after years of uncertainty. As Robert Clifford, the victims’ attorney, noted, most of the families have opted for settlements, but the few remaining cases, like that of Shikha Garg, are a testament to the enduring need for answers and accountability.
For Boeing, these court battles are a stark reminder of the consequences of corporate missteps. The company has made public commitments to bolster safety and restore public trust, but for those who lost loved ones on Flight 302, no amount of money or reform can ever replace what was lost. As the trial unfolds, the world will be watching—not just for the outcome, but for evidence that justice, in some measure, can still be served.
With every testimony and every image shown in court, the story of Flight 302’s victims is brought back into sharp focus. The legal wrangling may be about dollars and cents, but the heart of the matter is human loss and the quest for accountability. The outcome of this trial will resonate far beyond the walls of the Chicago courthouse, shaping the legacy of the 737 Max and the future of aviation safety.
