Kenyan families who lost relatives in the deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash in March 2019 are set to receive part of a lumpsum settlement of Ksh111 billion from Boeing Company.
This is the biggest settlement award in the history of the American plane manufacturer, Boeing whose plane killed 149 people.
This settlement marks a first for many as a dozen suits have been filed with a US Federal Court in Chicago against Boeing whose 737 Max 8 make crashed.
“We believe Boeing should pay a fair and reasonable amount to all families regardless as to where they are from. We are hopeful that Boeing will change the way they operate to avoid losing innocent lives again,” said Deon Botha of Ribbeck Law Chartered according to KBC.
The ETH302 plane and Lion Air Flight 610 both manufactured by Boeing have in the last two years led to the death of 346 people which have raised concerns with the professionalism of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration which cleared the Boeing 737 Max for flight on the fateful day.
From the compensation, the families of 32 Kenyans who perished in the crash will get Ksh335 million in settlement which is the highest paid by the plane manufacturer in its history.
According to Manuel von Ribbeck, of Ribbeck Law Chartered, he said that the settlement spared the Kenyan families the agony of years of litigation.
“It is important to note however that no amount of money in the world will bring our clients’ beloved family members back. Our clients sought to find the truth behind the causes of the crash and jail those responsible for killing their relatives,” von Ribbeck said.
Besides the settlement, Boeing has established a fund giving grants to communities of Kenyan families affected by the crash.
The intent of the fund is to bolster the activities and empower these communities.
Although the compensation is hefty, reinsurance and insurance will cater for it, leaving Boeing in a good financial position thereafter.
