Boeing is facing the prospect of a federal civil trial beginning Monday over the 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX aircraft, which tragically claimed the lives of 157 people. During a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday, lawyers representing both Boeing and the plaintiffs informed a US district court judge that three of the lawsuits have not yet been settled.
Robert Clifford, an attorney representing the families of several crash victims, confirmed that talks are ongoing. “We have had some ongoing discussion that may continue throughout the day and the ensuing days,” said attorney Robert Clifford, who represents relatives of several crash victims.
“The three cases that are left are not resolved,” he said. “It’s fair to say we’re going to try to continue discussions.”
The trial, which could last up to two weeks, is set to begin on Monday with jury selection, involving an eight-person panel. This comes more than six years after the tragic crash on March 10, when the plane went down just six minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa, en route to Kenya.
Between April 2019 and March 2021, the relatives of 155 victims filed lawsuits against Boeing, accusing the company of wrongful death, negligence, and other charges. Most of these cases have been settled, often in the final hours before trial dates. Notably, in November, Boeing reached a last-minute settlement with the family of a woman who died in the crash.
As of late last month, 18 complaints against Boeing remain unresolved. US District Judge Jorge Alonso has grouped the lawsuits into sets of five or six plaintiffs, cancelling any potential trial if all cases are settled beforehand. The details of most settlements are kept confidential.
