Boeing faces new civil trial over 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash

NEW YORK: Boeing was poised to face a new civil trial yesterday over the fatal 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max plane, the first case related to the disaster to reach court.

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The Chicago trial, expected to last two weeks, was to feature two plaintiffs who lost family members in the calamity.

But one of the complaints was resolved in an out-of-court settlement late Sunday, a judicial source told AFP, in line with most legal brigands.

Barring another last-minute settlement, the trial was to begin yesterday with the selection of an eight-person jury.

"We have had some ongoing discussions that may continue throughout the day and the ensuing days," Robert Clifford, who represents relatives of several crash victims, told the US District court on Wednesday at a pre-trial hearing.

A deal could also be struck even while the trial is underway.

CANADIAN VICTIM

The Boeing plane crashed on March 10, 2019, just six minutes after takeoff in Addis Ababa en route to Kenya, killing all 157 people on board.

Relatives of 155 of the victims had sued Boeing between April 2019 and March 2021 for wrongful death, negligence and other charges.