737 MAX crash: Pursuit of justice

Re: “Court considers: Are MAX-crash dead victims of crime?” [Aug. 7, A1]:

I found this article very interesting since we do not usually consider homicide by corporate negligence criminal. If criminal acts are found, it is almost always dealt with via economic penalties on the corporate person. This case seems similar to the classic Ford Pinto case or consequences of the asbestos industry criminal cover-up ending in a large fund for victims (see all the advertisements for compensation from asbestos-related diseases).

In both these historic cases, it was found that there was cover-up, lying and subsequent death, but not criminal sanction against individuals or express recognition of those dead as victims of homicide. The designation of those killed aboard MAX jets due to the lying and cover-up by the Boeing company as victims of homicide via the crime compensation makes sense but does not fit the “normal,” classic paradigm of victim-offender.

Having worked with family members of homicide victims, the consequence of such designation is not only practical, as noted in the article, but important symbolically in this type of homicide. I hope they are successful in their pursuit of justice.

Chuck Reasons, Poulsbo