Boeing Found Not Guilty of Fraud in LOT Polish Airlines 737 MAX Lawsuit What the Verdict Means and What Comes Next

Boeing was found not guilty of hiding safety problems with 737 MAX jets sold to LOT Polish Airlines last decade, a jury ruled Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. LOT had accused Boeing of defrauding it by withholding a critical change to the popular single-aisle jet’s flight-control systems. The change was linked to two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that led to the jets being grounded around the world for 20 months. The airline was seeking $153 million in damages that it said resulted from the grounding. After a two-week trial, the jury members deliberated for three hours.

“We are gratified by the jury’s verdict in our favour today,” a Boeing spokesperson said. LOT issued a statement acknowledging the outcome but leaving room for an appeal. “As the legal process may not yet be concluded, LOT will not comment further on the details of the proceeding at this stage,” the company said.

Quick Facts: LOT Polish Airlines v. Boeing

Field	Detail
Verdict	Boeing found NOT GUILTY of fraud
Verdict Date	May 22, 2026
Court	U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, Seattle
Judge	Ricardo S. Martinez
Plaintiff	LOT Polish Airlines (Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A.)
Defendant	The Boeing Company
Damages Sought	$153 million
Trial Duration	Two weeks (opened May 12, 2026)
Deliberation Time	Approximately three hours
Lawsuit Filed	October 2021
Appeal Status	LOT signals possible appeal — no filing confirmed
Last Updated	May 23, 2026

What Was This Lawsuit About?

This case was the first and only commercial airline lawsuit over the 737 MAX crisis to reach a public jury trial. Every other major carrier — Southwest, American, and United — settled their claims against Boeing privately and confidentially. LOT Polish Airlines chose to fight in open court.

LOT accuses Boeing of hiding 737 MAX safety flaws. The airline says Boeing played down how extensive MCAS really was so regulators would not insist on costly simulator training for pilots. LOT maintains it would not have leased 15 Max jets in 2016 had it been aware of testing and design concerns surrounding the system.

LOT Polish Airlines alleged Boeing concealed critical safety deficiencies in the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) — a flight-control software feature embedded in the Boeing 737 MAX — while actively pitching the aircraft to LOT in 2016 as the cornerstone of a financial turnaround strategy.

To understand the MCAS system at the heart of this case: Boeing designed MCAS to automatically push the jet’s nose down when sensors detected the aircraft pitching up at too steep an angle — a tendency caused by the 737 MAX’s larger, repositioned engines. Investigators later concluded that MCAS played a major role in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, which killed a total of 346 people and triggered a worldwide grounding of the Max in March 2019.

LOT’s argument was direct: Boeing sold them jets without disclosing how significant MCAS was, what risks it carried, or how extensively it could activate. When regulators grounded the entire 737 MAX fleet after the second crash, LOT was left with aircraft it couldn’t fly and operational losses it says hit $153 million. For full background on the Boeing 737 MAX litigation landscape leading into this verdict, see AllAboutLawyer.com’s pre-trial coverage of the LOT v. Boeing trial.

What Did the Jury Decide — and Why Does It Matter?

The verdict ended a two-week trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Ricardo S. Martinez, with jurors deliberating for about three hours before rejecting LOT’s claim that Boeing hid a critical software change and defrauded the airline when the jet was sold years ago.

Three hours of deliberation after two weeks of testimony is a fast return — a signal that the jury found the fraud allegations unpersuasive. LOT’s core claim required proving Boeing intentionally concealed MCAS information with intent to deceive, not merely that Boeing failed to communicate fully. That is a high legal bar in any fraud case.

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The significance of this verdict reaches well beyond LOT’s bank account. A verdict against Boeing could have encouraged more carriers to pursue compensation-related legal action in future aircraft grounding scenarios. The proceedings may also increase pressure on global aviation authorities to strengthen certification oversight processes and pilot training disclosure standards for newly developed commercial aircraft systems. With a verdict for Boeing, that ripple effect runs in the opposite direction — airlines considering similar litigation now face a concrete jury finding that the fraud standard was not met.

This verdict does not resolve Boeing’s broader legal exposure. In 2021, the manufacturer entered into a $2.5 billion deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve criminal charges of conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration over the aircraft’s evaluation. The DOJ criminal track and the crash victims’ family settlements are separate proceedings entirely.

What Happens Next for LOT Polish Airlines?

LOT has not ruled out an appeal. LOT issued a statement acknowledging the outcome but leaving room for an appeal: “As the legal process may not yet be concluded, LOT will not comment further on the details of the proceeding at this stage.”

An appeal in a civil case of this type would go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. To succeed, LOT would need to identify a specific legal error made during the trial — not simply argue that the jury reached the wrong conclusion. Appeals courts generally do not re-examine jury factual findings. Without a clear trial error to point to, LOT’s path to reversing this verdict is narrow.

Boeing argues that LOT Polish Airlines continues operating 26 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which the company says demonstrates the airline still considers the aircraft safe and commercially valuable. That argument may have resonated with jurors as evidence that LOT’s own ongoing business relationship with the 737 MAX undercut the severity of the fraud it alleged.

What Does This Verdict Mean for Other Boeing 737 MAX Litigation?

This verdict does not close Boeing’s legal chapter on the 737 MAX. Several significant proceedings remain active:

Southwest Airlines pilots lawsuit. In May 2026, approximately 10,000 Southwest Airlines pilots filed a lawsuit against Boeing, alleging Boeing induced their 2016 collective bargaining agreement by marketing the MAX as a continuation of the existing 737 family requiring no additional pilot training, while concealing that the LEAP-1B engines shifted the aircraft’s centre of gravity, increased pitch-up and stall risk, and materially altered handling characteristics. That case — a separate, major suit — is unaffected by this verdict.

Crash victims’ families. Boeing has paid billions in settlements to the families of the 346 people killed in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes. Those settlements are final and this verdict does not disturb them.

DOJ deferred prosecution agreement. The Justice Department later allowed Boeing to avoid prosecution under a revised 2025 agreement. Under that deal, Boeing agreed to contribute an additional $444.5 million to a victims’ compensation fund and committed hundreds of millions of dollars toward safety reforms, compliance improvements, and quality-control programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the jury decide in the Boeing 737 MAX fraud case?

 A federal jury in Seattle cleared Boeing of fraud on Friday in a closely watched case brought by LOT Polish Airlines, rejecting LOT’s claim that Boeing hid a critical software change and defrauded the airline when the jet was sold years ago. Jurors deliberated for approximately three hours after a two-week trial.

What was LOT Polish Airlines claiming Boeing did wrong?

 LOT Polish Airlines had accused Boeing of withholding details about changes to the aircraft’s flight-control system, known as MCAS, before the jets were delivered last decade. The airline argued the undisclosed system contributed to the 2018 and 2019 737 MAX crashes that killed hundreds of people and triggered a nearly 20-month worldwide grounding of the aircraft.

How much money was LOT seeking from Boeing? 

LOT sought $153 million in damages, representing the financial losses the airline says it suffered during the 20-month global grounding of the 737 MAX fleet following the two fatal crashes.

Will LOT Polish Airlines appeal the verdict?

 LOT has not ruled it out. LOT issued a statement saying: “As the legal process may not yet be concluded, LOT will not comment further on the details of the proceeding at this stage.” No appeal has been filed as of the date of this article.

Was this a criminal case against Boeing?

 No. This was a civil fraud lawsuit between two businesses. This trial does not involve the crash victims — it is purely a commercial dispute between two businesses over money. Boeing’s criminal exposure was handled through a separate DOJ deferred prosecution agreement in 2021 and a revised 2025 resolution.

Does this verdict affect crash victims’ families or their settlements?

No. Crash victims’ families pursued separate litigation and reached individual settlements with Boeing. This verdict involves only LOT Polish Airlines’ commercial losses and has no effect on those prior settlements.

Are other airline lawsuits against Boeing still pending? 

Yes. Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, and United Airlines settled their 737 MAX claims privately. However, approximately 10,000 Southwest pilots separately sued Boeing in 2026 over MCAS training misrepresentations. That case is proceeding independently and is not affected by this verdict.

Boeing 737 MAX Litigation Timeline

Milestone	Date
Lion Air Flight 610 Crash	October 2018
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Crash	March 2019
737 MAX Worldwide Grounding	March 2019
737 MAX Returns to Service	November 2020
Boeing DOJ Deferred Prosecution Agreement ($2.5B)	January 2021
LOT Polish Airlines Files Lawsuit	October 2021
Boeing Revised DOJ Agreement ($444.5M Additional)	2025
LOT v. Boeing Trial Opens, Seattle	May 12, 2026
Southwest Pilots File Lawsuit Against Boeing	May 2026
Jury Verdict: Boeing Not Guilty of Fraud	May 22, 2026
LOT Appeal Status	TBD — no filing confirmed

Sources & References

• Reuters — “Jury clears Boeing in 737 MAX fraud lawsuit,” May 22, 2026
• Law360 — “Breaking: Jury Clears Boeing In LOT Polish Airlines’ 737 Fraud Suit,” May 22, 2026 — law360.com
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington — pacer.uscourts.gov
• FAA — 737 MAX Return to Service — faa.gov
• DOJ — Boeing Deferred Prosecution Agreement — justice.gov

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against Reuters wire reporting, Law360, and primary court sources. Last Updated: May 23, 2026.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney for advice about any specific legal situation.