Texas Court Limits Damages for Southwest Pilots Against Boeing

A Texas Business Court judge has made a ruling that will limit the damages Southwest Airlines' pilots union can claim from Boeing Co. The pilots had filed a lawsuit against Boeing after regulators grounded the 737 Max aircraft in response to two fatal crashes.

The court's decision, issued on September 29, 2022, says the pilots can only recover direct damages and not damages related to secondary injuries or other indirect consequences of the plane being grounded. This means that the union will be able to seek compensation for losses such as lost wages, but not for things like passenger fear of flying.

The decision was made by Judge Brewer in response to a motion filed by Boeing's lawyers seeking to limit the scope of claims. The pilots' union had claimed that they were entitled to damages related to the secondary effects of the plane being grounded, including losses due to reduced passenger confidence.