Boeing faces paying £1bn to loved ones of 346 victims who perished in crashes

The amount of money Boeing might have to pay families of 737 Max crash victims could depend on one disturbing factor - How long the passengers spent knowing they were plunging to their deaths.

The series of lawsuits that could exceed $1 billion shoot even higher if evidence shows Boeing knew about flaws in the planes before the tragedies happened.

Two flights on the Boeing 737 Max planes crashed within six months of each other,  killing all on board

Members of Indonesia Search and Rescue Agency prepare to search for the Cockpit Recorder at the scene of the downed Lion Air plane as another flies ominously overhead

Members of Indonesia Search and Rescue Agency prepare to search for the Cockpit Recorder at the scene of the downed Lion Air plane as another flies ominously overhead

A Lion Air flight from Jakarta, Indonesia and Depati Amir Airport crashed into the sea 12 minutes after takeoff, claiming 189 lives in October 2018.

And in March, an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa Bole Airport flying to Nairobi, Kenya crashed six minutes after takeoff, killing 157 aboard.

The Ethiopian disaster led to the worldwide grounding of the 737 Max, which accounts for around a third of Boeing's operating profit.

While the precise causes of the crashes are still being determined, it is believed preliminary evidence is raising the liability risk for Boeing. 

Family members cry at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Family members cry at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Workers gather at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in March 2019 to collect the wreckage. All 737 Max planes were grounded following the second disaster in six months

Workers gather at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in March 2019 to collect the wreckage. All 737 Max planes were grounded following the second disaster in six months

Reports are believed to show the pilots of both aircraft struggled for several minutes to regain control of the diving planes as they reached speeds of almost 600 miles an hour

Reports are believed to show the pilots of both aircraft struggled for several minutes to regain control of the diving planes as they reached speeds of almost 600 miles an hour

Reports are believed to show the pilots of both aircraft struggled for several minutes to regain control of the diving planes as they reached speeds of almost 600 miles an hour.

The evidence suggests the victims knew their fate, some of the family's lawyers have argued. 

'The bottom line is Boeing’s exposure is much more substantial than in any other case that I’ve been a part of in my quarter-century of representing families,' aviation lawyer Brian Alexander told Bloomberg.

'You get into "What did you know and when did you know it".'  

The family of Samya Stumo, 24, a health-care analyst killed in the Ethiopian crash, filed a lawsuit against Boeing in Chicago, where the company has their

read more from dailymail.....

NEXT In news vacuum, rumours and concern swirl over Catherine mogaznewsen