U.S. Judge Jorge Alonso will be hearing two cases: one involving a 28-year-old mother from Kenya who left behind a daughter, her parents, and four siblings, and the other involving a 36-year-old woman from India who left behind a husband and her parents..
Mercy Ndivo was the young mother of an infant girl who is now almost eight years old. The young girl’s grandparents, Fred and Beatrice, represent her mother’s estate. Four siblings also survive mercy.
At the time of the crash, she was returning from London, where she was attending her graduation ceremony after earning a Master’s in Accountancy. She was accredited by the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA). Her husband, who was traveling with her, also died in the crash.
Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices in Chicago and lead counsel in the litigation, will be the main lawyer trying this case, in which mediation attempts have failed over the past several months.
“We have tried in good faith to resolve these matters, but Boeing continues to deny the massive personal losses experienced by each of these families. Nearly seven years ago Boeing caused a needless and preventable loss of 157 lives, yet continues to deny and acknowledge the true extent of responsibility and accountability these families deserve,” Clifford said. “In legal filings, Boeing claims to acknowledge responsibility for killing the 157 crew and passengers, yet it forces families from around the world to travel to a Chicago-based trial to receive the accountability and justice they rightly deserve. We are fully prepared to begin selecting a jury on November 3 on behalf of these families from Africa, Ireland, India, and the Continent.”
The other lead case will proceed on behalf of Shikha Garg, a U.N. Development Programme consultant who was en route to the U.N. Environmental Assembly. Elizabeth Crawford, of Kline & Specter, will be representing the Estate in that case.
Judge Alonso has ruled that three additional cases are set for trial that would be heard should the two lead cases settle before Nov. 3. Those include a case filed by Clifford Law Offices for a man from Yemen, who was living in Kenya at the time of the crash and who left behind a wife, seven children and his mother; a man who was living in the UK and Kenya at the time of the crash and who left behind a wife and four children, also represented by Clifford Law Offices; and a third matter brought by a woman from Ireland, who lost her husband and who is represented by Steven Marks of Podhurst Orseck.
The crash of Flight ET302 occurred in March 2019 shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport killing all 157 on board. They were from 35 different countries.
Four previous trials before Judge Alonso of federal district court in Chicago, former Boeing headquarters, settled shortly before trials were set to begin, the latest just hours before the final pretrial conference.
