A US federal court in Chicago started a second damages trial against Boeing on Monday. This trial focuses on the fatal 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX aircraft. A Canadian plaintiff is seeking compensation for losing multiple family members in the tragedy.
Plaintiff Seeks Justice for Family Loss
Manant Vaidya filed the case. His sister Kosha Vaidya and parents Pannagesh and Hansini Vaidya died in the crash. Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed in March 2019, killing all 157 people on board. Vaidya also lost his brother-in-law and two young nieces. The Associated Press reported these heartbreaking details.
Jury selection began on Monday. Opening statements are likely on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday. Court proceedings outline this schedule.
Emotional Impact on the Family
Manant Vaidya shared his grief in a statement. He published it on his attorneys' website at Clifford Law Firm. "It is hard to believe that my entire family was wiped out in an instant incident in such a horrific way," Vaidya said. He added, "I still cry and my wife, Hiral, still cries when we think of the horror of the last moments of our loved ones' lives."
The Vaidya family lived in Canada. They were traveling to Kenya at the time of the crash. Kenya was the homeland of Kosha Vaidya. Relatives of Vaidya's brother-in-law and nieces filed a separate lawsuit against Boeing. That case settled out of court in July 2025.
Background of the 737 MAX Crashes
The Ethiopian Airlines crash followed a similar fatal accident. A Lion Air 737 MAX aircraft crashed in Indonesia in October 2018. Together, these two crashes claimed 346 lives. They led to the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX fleet.
Investigations linked both incidents to the aircraft's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). This flight-stabilising software was a key factor in the tragedies.
Boeing's Response and Previous Trial
Boeing has acknowledged responsibility for the crashes. The company issued apologies to the victims' families. A Boeing spokesperson stated, "Boeing is deeply sorry for the losses suffered by the families." The spokesperson added that Boeing is committed to "fully and fairly compensate" the victims. The company has "accepted legal responsibility for the accidents."
The spokesperson also noted, "While we have resolved the vast majority of these claims through settlements, families are also entitled to pursue their claims through damages trials in court, and we respect their right to do so."
This trial comes weeks after another US jury decision. In the same Chicago courthouse, a jury ordered Boeing to pay $28.45 million in damages. That payment went to the family of an Indian victim of the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash.
