US jury orders Boeing to pay $28.45 million to family of Indian newlywed killed in 2019 Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash after Chicago trial
NEW YORK: A US jury has ordered Boeing to pay $28.45 million to the family of an Indian newlywed killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash.
The Chicago federal court verdict marks the first civil trial outcome involving fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes.
Shikha Garg of New Delhi died when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff in March 2019.
After approximately two hours of deliberation, the jury awarded $10 million for grief and $10 million for Garg’s pain and suffering.
The compensation package also included additional amounts for other damages.
Garg’s widower, Soumya Bhattacharya, expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
“We happily accept the verdict. We came here for a jury trial and it’s absolutely acceptable,” Bhattacharya told AFP.
The trial began on November 3 in Chicago federal court.
Bhattacharya’s legal team had sought between $80 million and $230 million for the estate.
Boeing’s attorneys had proposed a settlement of $11.95 million before the verdict.
The case represents one of many lawsuits filed against Boeing following two fatal 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people. – AFP
