6 Billion US Dollars In Damages, Boeing Has Been Sued

Manuel von Ribbeck of Ribbeck Law Chartered announced today the filing of a lawsuit against Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing’s former CEO, David Calhoun, Boeing’s current CEO, and Mark Forkner, former Chief Technical Pilot for Boeing, the only Boeing employee charged with a crime after the two fatal crashes of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes, Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in Ethiopia.

Ribbeck Law Chartered filed the complaint on behalf of Liu Chandra, a businessman who was a passenger on board the Lion Air’s Boeing 737 Max 8 that crashed in Indonesia. Mr. von Ribbeck explained that prior to the crashes Boeing called Indonesian pilots ‘Idiots’ for wanting more training. Boeing internal documents relating to the 737 MAX 8 crashes show that Boeing employees disregarded airline requests for more training for the aircraft. Internal emails from Boeing show employees discussing the requests for more training on the 737 MAX’s new systems.

An email from 2017 from Boeing Pilot Mark Forkner stated that “Now friggin Lion Air might need a sim to fly the MAX, and maybe because of their own stupidity. I’m scrambling trying to figure out how to unscrew this now! idiots.” The complaint also alleges that Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing’s former CEO, concealed the Boeing Max 8’s problems and instead blamed the airline’s pilots and maintenance practices. “Muilenburg also influenced the FAA not to take corrective action” stated Monica Kelly of Ribbeck Law Chartered. In addition, Ribbeck Law’s complaint blames David Calhoun, Boeing’s newest CEO, for failing to prioritize safety issues, even after the crash in Indonesia, while serving as leader of Boeing’s Board of Directors.

Calhoun knew immediately after the first Max 8 crash in Indonesia that there was a mechanical problem with the entire fleet of Boeing 737 Max 8 planes. Calhoun and the Board of Directors under his leadership knew that the planes had to be grounded, and they chose to keep flying them.

Boeing’s CEO, Board of Directors, and pilots knew that it was like that more 737 Max 8 planes would crash and did nothing about it. “Our clients deserve their day in court. At their request, we have sued the individuals in charge of making Boeing’s decisions, those who chose to and sacrificed 346 lives to make Boeing more profits. We will demand that a jury in Chicago decides the punishment they deserve,” stated Monica Kelly Mr. von Ribbeck stated that it is likely Boeing will have to pay at the end of the litigation more than USD6 billion in damages to compensate the crash victims, investors and airlines, and in payment of fines imposed by the US Department of Justice in the criminal case it filed against Boeing.“2.5 billion have already been paid by Boeing to settle the criminal fraud charges filed against them by the US DOJ. Prior to that Boeing paid 100 million to assist the families and communities involved in these two tragedies,” explained Mr. von Ribbeck.

Ribbeck Law Chartered’s success is shown in its record-breaking compensation for the families of the victims and improvements in aviation safety worldwide.