CHICAGO/JAKARTA: Boeing Co has settled the first claims stemming from the crash of a Lion Air 737 MAX in Indonesia, a U.S. plaintiffs' lawyer said, and three other sources said that families of those killed will receive at least US$1.2 million apiece.
Wisner said he could not disclose the amount of the settlements because of a confidentiality agreement with Boeing.The three people familiar with the matter said families of Lion Air victims, who were nearly all from Indonesia, are set to receive at least US$1.2 million each. That amount would be for a single victim without any dependents.Awards can vary according to victims' nationality, age, marital status, income, dependents and life expectancy.
The planemaker has said it is sorry for the lives lost in both crashes but has stopped short of admitting any fault in how it developed the 737 MAX or the software. Industry veteran Wisner said he had settled lawsuits for other plane crashes that took place in Indonesia in years prior to the Lion Air 737 MAX crash for around US$500,000 or US$600,000. He will receive one third of his Lion Air settlements in fees.
Many of the Ethiopian crash victims, who came from 35 different countries, included United Nations employees and young working adults in their twenties or thirties. There were nine U.S. citizens among the victims.