Ribbeck Law Chartered founding partner Manuel von Ribbeck and Global Aviation chief Deon Botha in Nairobi. Ribbeck announced the conclusion of the two 737 MAX crashes after Boeing released the final $944 million to 346 victims’ families
On August 26, 2026, Ribbeck Law Chartered, headquartered in Chicago, announced that all claims filed on behalf of its 93 clients—passengers and crew members of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight 610—against The Boeing Company will begin receiving final compensation payments.
The claims arise from two separate air disasters involving Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft manufactured by Boeing. According to Ribbeck Law Chartered, Boeing will now begin making the final compensation payments to the firm’s clients.
Key Takeaways
- Total Boeing 737 MAX settlement: Approximately $3.64 billion, consisting of $2.5 billion from the 2021 resolution and an additional $1.14 billion from the 2025 resolution.
- Average victim compensation: Families of victims receive an average of approximately $2.73 million from criminal case settlements.
- 32 Kenyan families to receive a total of $87,343,352.60 (KES 11.3 billion)
- Additional victim compensation: The 2025 Non-Prosecution Agreement (NPA) provides approximately $455 million in additional compensation for victims.
- Safety and compliance requirements: Boeing is required to invest at least $455 million in compliance and aviation-safety programs and retain an Independent Compliance Consultant.
- Civil verdicts: Individual civil awards have reached as high as $49.5 million per passenger, establishing significant benchmarks for aviation cases outside the USA.
Victim Compensation Amounts
- 2021 Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) victims’ amount: $500 million
- 2025 Non-Prosecution Agreement (NPA) additional victims’ amount: $444.5 million
- Combined victim compensation: $944.5 million
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft was involved in two fatal crashes: Lion Air Flight 610, which crashed into the Java Sea near Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 29, 2018, killing all 189 people on board, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which crashed near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019, killing all 157 people aboard. Investigations found that both crashes were linked to Boeing’s MCAS flight-control systems.
“We handled a highly complex matter that required international coordination across more than 35 countries where the victims resided, as well as litigation in multiple jurisdictions. We have now concluded the legal work on behalf of our clients in the United States, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Boeing will begin compensating our clients immediately pursuant to the non-prosecution agreement entered into with the U.S. Department of Justice,” explained Manuel von Ribbeck of Ribbeck Law Chartered.
The Boeing 737 MAX settlement represents one of the largest corporate accountability matters in U.S. history. The U.S. Department of Justice resolution includes approximately $3.64 billion in payments. In addition, Boeing has paid approximately $2 billion in separate civil settlements. Because most individual civil settlement amounts remain confidential, the $2 billion figure is a reasonable estimate based on publicly reported settlements and awards.
Taken together, the criminal and civil matters resulted in Boeing paying more than $5.64 billion in compensation and related payments to the victims’ families.
“Ribbeck Law Chartered has achieved record levels of compensation for our clients in Asia, the Middle East and Africa,” said Monica Kelly of Ribbeck Law Chartered. “Our primary objective throughout this litigation was not only to secure justice and compensation for our clients, but also to hold the defendants accountable and push for meaningful changes that improve aviation safety worldwide,” Mrs. Kelly added.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside Monica and Manuel Ribbeck, whom I have known for decades. Helping to secure a measure of justice for these families, and a measure of accountability from Boeing, ranks among the proudest moments of my career. In more than forty years of practice, I have not worked with better negotiators of complex settlements. Monica and Manuel’s compassion for their clients drives everything they do, and it is what allowed these families to be compensated for losses that are, in truth, beyond measure.” Peter S. Lubin, co-counsel, DiTommaso Lubin P.C said
