CHICAGO -- The first civil trial over a Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia more than six years ago opened Wednesday before a federal court jury that was asked to decide how much the American aerospace company must pay to the family of one of the 157 victims.

A US federal judge has dismissed the Department of Justice's fraud case against Boeing over 737 Max certification, despite expressing doubt that the non-prosecution agreement serves the public interest and facing opposition from crash victims' relatives.

A Texas judge agreed to dismiss a criminal charge filed against Boeing after two fatal 737 MAX crashes six years ago.

Boeing avoids criminal charges for 737 Max crashes. A $1.1 billion deal includes fines, victim compensation, and safety improvements.

Opening arguments will begin in Chicago on Wednesday in the first civil trial against US aviation giant Boeing over the 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX aircraft, which killed 157 people, after a full day of jury selection.

The legendary planemaker Boeing suffered a devastating blow to its track record of engineering innovation, quality, and safety when two 737 MAX jets were involved in accidents in a six-month span, shortly after the newly released aircraft entered service.

Boeing has reached settlements in three lawsuits brought by the families of victims who died in the March 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX, the attorney representing the families announced Wednesday.