CHICAGO, Illinois: A Chicago jury has awarded US$28 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a United Nations consultant killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash, marking the first civil trial verdict related to the disaster.

The decision came after just two hours of deliberation on November 12, concluding a weeklong trial in federal court. The case focused solely on compensation, as Boeing had already accepted responsibility for the crash.

"This verdict provides public accountability for Boeing's wrongful conduct," said the family's attorneys, Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford, in a statement.

Garg's husband, Soumya Bhattacharya, had reached a separate private settlement with Boeing for $3.45 million, bringing the total payout to the family to $35.8 million, plus accrued interest.

Garg was one of 157 people killed when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, 2019. She had been en route to Nairobi for a United Nations environmental assembly.

In court, Specter described Garg as a gifted and accomplished PhD candidate, newly married, and full of promise. On the flight, she wore a traditional Indian sari and carried flower garlands, adhering to cultural customs. "Her death was senseless and preventable," Specter said.

Boeing attorney Dan Webb argued that compensation should be "fair and reasonable," and disputed whether passengers like Garg experienced physical pain before the crash. "There would not have been time for them to feel any physical pain when they hit the ground," he said.

However, the jury awarded $10 million specifically for emotional distress and suffering Garg experienced in her final moments. Flight data showed that within minutes of takeoff, pilots were overwhelmed by faulty alarms triggered by the plane's automated flight-control system, leading to a nosedive at nearly 700 mph.

That system—known as MCAS—was later identified as a key factor in both the Ethiopia crash and a similar 737 Max disaster in Indonesia five months earlier. In both cases, MCAS pushed the plane's nose down repeatedly due to erroneous sensor data.

Following the Ethiopian crash, all Boeing 737 Max jets were grounded worldwide. The U.S. lifted the ban in December 2020, but Ethiopian Airlines didn't resume flights with the Max until February 2022.

Boeing has settled most wrongful death lawsuits stemming from the two crashes, though details remain confidential. Fewer than a dozen cases are still unresolved.

The trial's conclusion comes amid broader legal fallout. Just days ago, a federal judge in Texas approved the dismissal of a criminal case against Boeing, following a U.S. Justice Department agreement. Boeing will pay or invest $1.1 billion in fines, victim compensation, and safety improvements as part of that deal.

U.S. prosecutors had charged Boeing with conspiracy to commit fraud, alleging that it misled regulators about the MCAS system. The company has not admitted to criminal wrongdoing but continues to face reputational damage and financial liabilities over the crashes.

In a statement, Boeing apologized to the victims' families and said it respected their right to pursue justice in court.