Kenyan families have joined a Sh100 billion compensation lawsuit against Boeing in a U.S. federal court, alleging design flaws and regulatory negligence following the March 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash that killed 32 Kenyan passengers.
The case, led by Chicago-based Ribbeck Law Chartered and the Global Aviation Law Group, represents 66 families from both the Ethiopian Airlines and November 2018 Lion Air crashes, which collectively claimed 346 lives. The law firms seek to prove Boeing's alleged defects in the 737 Max 8 model and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) role in its approval.
Mediation in the pending Chicago court cases continues, with attorneys aiming to consolidate the two crash cases if negotiations fail. Manuel von Ribbeck of Ribbeck Law Chartered stated the firm added a Kenyan passenger's case and plans to file an Egyptian family's claim next week, seeking over $1 billion in damages.
The Ethiopian Airlines crash occurred six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 on board. Boeing had offered Sh10 billion in support to victims' families, while preliminary investigations linked both crashes to faulty flight-monitoring systems. Global Aviation Law Group's Deon Botha accused the FAA of complicity in allowing flawed aircraft to fly after the Lion Air crash.
"Boeing knew these planes were flawed and did not stop them from flying until the second crash," Botha said. "The families demand accountability for the 157 additional deaths caused by Boeing's criminal behavior."
