Boeing settles several more lawsuits over Max plane crashes

DALLAS (AP) — Boeing is settling a few more of roughly 150 lawsuits filed by families of passengers killed in two crashes of 737 Max jet.

A Seattle law firm said Friday it settled four of 46 cases it’s handling for families of passengers who were on board a Lion Air Max that crashed off coast of Indonesia in October 2018. On Thursday, a federal judge in Chicago approved settlements of nine or cases involving same crash.

A Boeing spokesman said company has settled “dozens” of claims.

Terms of settlements were kept confidential at Boeing’s insistence, according to lawyers.

Chicago-based Boeing has spent about a year making changes to flight software that played a role in crashes. company expects Federal Aviation ministration approval in January for a new pilot-training program around changes, which would let U.S. airlines resume using plane early next year.

FAA, however, has t laid out a timetable for approving Boeing’s changes, and ncy’s chief vowed again Friday that plane won’t fly until it’s safe.

“I kw re is a lot of pressure to return this aircraft to service quickly,” FAA ministrator Stephen Dickson said Friday in a video for ncy employees, “but I want you to kw, and I want you to take time you need and focus solely on safety.”

According to federal court records, more than 50 lawsuits were filed against Boeing by families of passengers on Lion Air Max that crashed Oct. 29, 2018, and about 100 lawsuits were filed relating to crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max on March 10.

Boeing Co. is working with a mediator, “and we are pleased to have resolved dozens of claims on terms that we believe fairly compensate victims’ families,” Boeing spokesman Peter Pedraza said in a statement. “We remain committed to this mediation process.”

Boeing didn’t disclose amount of settlements, but Pedraza said Boeing has paid more than $7 million in separate aid to families since setting up a special fund two months ago.

company’s legal strategy, however, has come under fire by lawmakers and lawyers for passengers’ families.

Lawyers for Boeing have said in several court filings that y could seek to move lawsuits to courts in Indonesia, on grounds that it would be more convenient — most of victims were Indonesians. Legal experts say judgments in Indonesian courts would likely be smaller.

Boeing lawyers have t yet asked judge to move cases, but mere threat of a motion could be helping company negotiate with victims’ families.

Alexandra Wisner, a Chicago-area aviation lawyer whose settlements were approved by a federal judge this week, said lawyers like her must consider Boeing’s potential defenses — including ability to send cases overseas — when negotiating for ir clients. She said, however, that it would be overly simple to suggest that Boeing’s strategy resulted in lower settlements for her clients.

Seattle aviation lawyer Mark Lindquist, whose firm anunced four new settlements and has 42 or cases pending against Boeing, said re are strong reasons for keeping cases in U.S.

“ U.S. has a great interest in safety of aircraft manufactured in United States, most of evidence of Boeing’s wrongdoing is here in U.S., and only a United States court can hold Boeing accountable,” he said.

Last month, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told a congressional committee he wasn’t aware of company’s legal strategy. That drew a skeptical response by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of House Transportation Committee.

“You’re looking at hundreds of millions, billions of dollars of claims ... and you don’t kw that that’s happening?” DeFazio said.

“Congressman, my focus has been on safety,” Muilenburg replied.

On Friday, DeFazio said he sent several follow-up questions to Muilenburg, including wher Boeing intends to move Lion Air lawsuits to Indonesia.

settlements that have been publicly anunced or revealed in court filings all involve families of passengers on first Max crash. families agreed to take part in mediation with Boeing. Lawyers for families of passengers in second crash, in Ethiopia, have opted inste to seek documents from Boeing. Victims in that crash represented many more nationalities.

Wisner, who has clients related to both incidents, said Boeing is open to more second-guessing about second crash.

“What did y kw, what did y learn from first crash, and why didn’t y take any action” to ground plane immediately? she said.