This archive report was first published on 20 August 2019.
Published on August 20, 2019, relatives of 66 victims who perished in the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash in March are seeking Ksh 103 billion (USD 1 billion) in damages from the US plane manufacturer.
Law firm Ribbeck Law Chartered, which represents the majority of families of the victims of the deadly Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes, has filed additional lawsuits against Boeing in a US federal court in Chicago.
According to Manuel von Ribbeck, the lawyer leading the case, the firm has filed 40 cases against the Boeing Company in Federal Court in Chicago for the recent Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft crashes so far, including one of a Kenyan who died in the Ethiopian crash.
“Ribbeck Law Chartered and Global Aviation Law Group represent 66 families of both crashes, the majority of the passengers and cabin crew members affected by Boeing 737 Max 8 disasters and as we prepare the complaints, we will continue to file additional lawsuits to seek justice for our clients in the courts of the United States of America,” von Ribbeck said.
Global Aviation Law Group representatives in Nairobi, Attorney David Njoroge of Igeria & Ngugi Advocates, stated that Boeing’s intentional conduct not grounding the 737 Max 8 aircraft after the first crash is a crime, murder. They will seek that the authorities in Kenya and Ethiopia and some of the multiple countries that lost their citizens file criminal cases against Boeing’s CEO, its board of directors and anyone involved in the decision making of this company.
When asked about the impact of paying one billion dollars in compensation will have on the Boeing, von Ribbeck remarked: “The Boeing company should not be greatly affected by it. Most of the payments will be made by their insurance and reinsurance companies and as stated by Wall Street firms, Boeing can afford that cost: Boeing has posted record revenues of USD 101 billion last year and USD 10.6 billion in profits.”
