Boeing reached a settlement with Paul Njoroge, a Canadian man who lost his entire family in the 2019 Ethiopian plane crash on Friday, July 11. As a result, Boeing avoided going to trial in Chicago’s federal court.

Originally, the trial was scheduled to begin on Monday. It was supposed to determine how much compensation Njoroge deserved for the loss of his wife and three children.

Crash Destroyed Njoroge’s Life

In March 2019, Njoroge’s family was flying to Kenya on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. Unfortunately, the plane crashed just minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa. All 157 passengers and crew died.

Njoroge was expected to speak at the trial. He planned to share how the tragedy affected his life. Since the crash, he has not returned to his Toronto home because the memories are too painful. Additionally, he hasn’t been able to work and has even faced blame from relatives for not traveling with his family.

His lawyer Robert Clifford explained, “He’s haunted by nightmares and the loss of his wife and children.” He added that Njoroge suffers from deep emotional stress and grief.

Settlement Details Remain Confidential

Although the case settled, the financial terms were not revealed. Clifford mentioned that his client aimed to seek “millions” in damages but never named an exact amount publicly.

He said, “The aviation team at Clifford Law Offices has been working round-the-clock in preparation for trial, but the mediator was able to help the parties come to an agreement.”

Crash Investigations Blamed Boeing System

Both the Ethiopian crash and a similar one in Indonesia months earlier were blamed on a faulty system in Boeing’s 737 Max jets. Investigators found that a malfunctioning sensor triggered the system to force the plane’s nose downward. As a result, pilots couldn’t regain control.

Following these crashes, Boeing admitted fault in 2021. That agreement allowed families to sue Boeing in the U.S. courts instead of their home countries.

So far, many families have already accepted settlements. However, their agreements were also kept private.

737 Max Jets Were Grounded Worldwide

After the Ethiopian disaster, aviation authorities around the world grounded all 737 Max jets. Later, Boeing made changes to the faulty system. Since then, the crashes have remained a major crisis for Boeing’s reputation and safety record.

Boeing Also Reached Deal With US Government

Earlier this year, Boeing reached a separate agreement with the U.S. Justice Department. That deal helped the company avoid criminal charges linked to the two crashes.

Together, the Ethiopia and Indonesia crashes killed 346 people. Although many families continue to seek justice, this latest settlement prevented what could have been a very public and emotional trial.