Boeing Sued by Kenyan Family for Ethiopian 737 Max Crash

The family of a Kenyan man who died in a Boeing Co. 737 Max 8 that crashed in Ethiopia last month filed a complaint against the planemaker in a court in Illinois.

George Kabau was an engineer with General Electric Co., according to his brother Tom Kabau. He was among the 157 people who died when the 737 Max plane went down shortly after take off from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

“My father has never been the same since this happened,” Kabau told reporters in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. “Legal action should not only to seek justice for George, but also ensure air safety of all.”

The family alleged that Boeing failed to properly inform pilots about the dangers presented by sensors that malfunctioned on the doomed jet, and caused the “wrongful death” of their kin. The legal team will let the jury determine the amount of compensation to be paid, Texas-licensed lawyer Nomaan Husain said in Nairobi.

“Right now we are not looking at Ethiopian Airlines at all” because initial information shows pilots followed procedure, Husain said.

Similar Suits

Husain filed a similar lawsuit last week on behalf of U.S. citizen Mucaad Hussein Abdallah, who also died in the March 10 crash. The parents of another American victim, Samya Stumo, are also making a claim against Boeing, Ethiopian, and aircraft-sensor maker Rosemount Aerospace Inc. for negligence.

Consumer advocate seeks 737 Max recall as Boeing woes mount over crashes

“Even if the consolidation happens, each case will be tried separately, with a separate jury,” Husain said.

The Flight 302 disaster occurred less than five months after another 737 Max operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea with 189 people aboard. Information recovered from the flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders showed “clear similarities” between the ill-fated flights, according to Ethiopian authorities.