Legal Skirmishes in the Shadows of Grief
Attorney Mark Lindquist, who represented Belanger’s family, praised the outcome, noting his client’s perseverance. “She stood her ground,” he said. “This resolution provides the accountability and closure we fought for.”
Antonio Romanucci, representing the Lewis family, echoed similar sentiments, stating that while the deal helps close a painful chapter, “it can never replace the towering loss they now live with daily.”
While Boeing has managed to resolve multiple claims before reaching a jury, legal pressure continues to mount. U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso noted the significance of the timing, saying the cases had moved “closer to trial than ever before.”
A Tragedy Born from Hubris and Flawed Tech
The crash of Flight 302 in March 2019 was Boeing’s second in five months involving its newly minted 737 Max jet. The first, Lion Air Flight 610, plunged into the Java Sea, killing 189 people. Both disasters were ultimately linked to a flawed automated control system known as MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) — a technology that investigators later found was vulnerable to faulty sensor data and prone to forcing the nose of the plane downward, even against pilot input.
Critics have lambasted Boeing for placing profits over safety, alleging the company rushed the Max’s development, cutting regulatory corners to compete with Airbus in a high-stakes commercial aviation race.
