A Canadian man who lost several family members in the 2019 crash of a Boeing jet in Ethiopia has settled his lawsuit against the plane manufacturer just before a trial was set to begin in Chicago.
The law firm representing Manant Vaidya, a Brampton, Ont., man who lost his parents, sister, brother-in-law and two young nieces in the crash, says the case was settled for a confidential amount on Tuesday as opening statements were set to begin in a U.S. district court.
All 157 people on board were killed when the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft malfunctioned and crashed on March 10, 2019, including 18 Canadian citizens and other foreign nationals who were living in Canada.
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The crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 en route to Kenya happened shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia.
Vaidya’s parents Pannagesh and Hansini Vaidya and his sister Kosha Vaidya, along with her husband and two children, were among those killed.
Boeing spokesperson Shelley Spreier says in a statement the company is “deeply sorry” to all who lost loved ones.
“We made an upfront commitment to fully and fairly compensate the families of those who were lost and have accepted legal responsibility for the accidents in these proceedings,” she wrote.
Robert Clifford, a lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the settled cases, said the company has been held responsible.
“Boeing accepted full responsibility for the senseless and preventable loss of these innocent lives, and this corporate giant has now been held accountable to this family, especially to this good man who lost his dear mom, dad and sister,” he said.
Vaidya’s family, who were living in Canada at the time, had been travelling to Kenya for a safari vacation that they had spent years saving for.
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