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4w ago

First U.S. Damages Trial Over Ethiopian 737 Max Crash Opens in Chicago

Jurors will consider compensation only, following Boeing’s acknowledgment that its MAX design contributed to the 2019 disaster.

FILE - In this March 11, 2019, file photo, rescuers work at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Pilot Bernd Kai von Hoesslin pleaded with his bosses for more training on the Boeing Max, just weeks before the Ethiopian Airline's jet crashed, killing everyone on board. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene, File)
FILE - Workers collect debris on March 12, 2019 at the scene where an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene, File)
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Overview

  • An eight-person jury was seated Monday, with opening statements scheduled Tuesday in U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso’s courtroom.
  • The first two cases involve the families of Shikha Garg of India and Mercy Ndivo of Kenya, with three additional cases held in reserve after the judge limited this round to two due to the federal shutdown.
  • Boeing says it is deeply sorry and has accepted responsibility for flaws tied to the MCAS system, leaving jurors to determine monetary damages.
  • Lawyers reported failed mediation and said the sides remain far apart on a deal, though an out-of-court settlement could still occur during the trial.
  • The trial proceeds after four prior jury dates were averted by last-minute settlements, with 11 civil cases still unresolved and a separate DOJ proposal for a nonprosecution agreement in Texas awaiting a judge’s decision.