A federal jury in Seattle ruled in favor of Boeing on Friday, rejecting claims that the aerospace giant concealed critical safety information tied to the 737 MAX system linked to two fatal crashes.
The change had been associated with two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that prompted a worldwide grounding of the model for 20 months involving a MCAS software.
The MCAS, a software feature designed to automatically push the airplane’s nose down in certain conditions, was tied to two fatal crashes of the B737 MAX over a five-month period that killed 346 people and led to the FAA's grounding the plane for 19 months, an action which was lifted in November 2020.
LOT had sought $153 million in damages; after a two-week trial the jury deliberated for three hours and returned a verdict for Boeing.
The trial lasted two weeks and the jury deliberated for about three hours before returning a verdict for Boeing - sectors affected include aerospace manufacturing and commercial airlines.
LOT's lawsuit alleged that Boeing failed to disclose a critical change to the popular single-aisle jet's flight-control systems.
Last year, Boeing avoided criminal prosecution by agreeing to a billion non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve charges tied to the deadly 737 MAX crashes. Victims' families strongly opposed the deal, and are actively petitioning the full 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to review the case.
In a court filing in May 2025, the Justice Department said Boeing would admit to "conspiracy to obstruct and impede" an investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and to pay more than $1.1 billion in fines.
On Today's development, a Boeing spokesperson responded to the court's decision, saying,
"We are gratified by the jury's verdict in our favor today." The statement reflects the company's position at the close of the trial.
LOT issued a brief response acknowledging the outcome while indicating that further legal steps remain possible. In its statement the airline said,
"As the legal process may not yet be concluded, LOT will not comment further on the details of the proceeding at this stage."
That language leaves open the potential for additional appeals or filings, though no further actions were detailed in the court record provided at the time of the verdict.
The jury's decision resolves the specific fraud claim brought by LOT in U.S. District Court in Seattle, but the airline's statement underscores that the legal process related to this dispute may not be finished. The case centered on whether Boeing intentionally withheld information about a system change tied to two fatal accidents and the subsequent grounding that led to the damages sought by LOT.
This ruling concludes the trial phase of the dispute between the airline and the manufacturer; beyond the verdict itself, the parties' statements indicate differing next steps may be considered as the legal process continues.
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