The first trial begins Monday, July 14, 2025, in federal district court in Chicago against Boeing Corporation for the 2019 crash of a 737 MAX8 aircraft in Ethiopia on behalf of a Canadian man who lost his entire family in the crash that killed all 157 people on board shortly after takeoff.
U.S. District Court Jorge Alonso in Chicago will begin jury selection Monday at the Dirksen Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn, Courtroom 1903.
The trial is expected to last about a week to determine damages for Paul Njoroge of Toronto who lost his wife, Carolyne, and three small children, Ryan, age 6, Kellie, 4, and Rubi, 9 months old, the youngest to be killed on the plane. Njoroge also lost his mother-in-law in the crash.
Judge Alonso ruled in a recent hearing that eight jurors will hear the civil cases. Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices, will be trying the case as lead counsel of litigation that includes victims families from 35 countries around the world. Kevin P. Durkin, Tracy A. Brammeier and John V. Kalantzis, partners at Clifford Law Offices who serve on the firm’s aviation practice area team, also will be trying the case alongside Clifford.
“From the moment Paul learned of the unspeakable tragedy, he has been unable to work. He has never been able to re-enter the family home that once was filled with children’s laughter and then suddenly became silent,” Clifford said. “Once a successful financial analyst, he instead now has devoted his time to a foundation for his lost family to help him work through his grief and sorrow and to preserve the memory of his young family.”
Judge Alonso ruled on June 18 that Paul and aviation experts may testify generally about the G-forces (gravitational forces) experienced by all passengers, including nine-month-old Rubi who was ticketed as a lap infant, when the Boeing 737 MAX8 jet pitched up and down for several minutes before crashing into the ground, creating a huge crater in an Ethiopian field.
“I stay up nights thinking of the horror that they must have endured,” Njoroge testified before a congressional aviation subcommittee in 2019. “As pilots struggled to keep the plane flying for six minutes – the terror that my wife must have experienced with little Rubi on her lap, our two children beside her crying for their daddy, and my mother-in-law feeling helpless beside her. The six minutes will forever be embedded in my mind.”
The tragedy occurred March 10, 2019, minutes after takeoff from the Addis Ababa airport in Ethiopia.
Boeing previously agreed to take full responsibility for the cause of the crash. The trial, therefore, will focus on damages to the surviving family members, which in this case is Paul, head of the household.
For further information, contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell) or Pammenaker@cliffordlaw.com.
About Clifford Law Offices
Clifford Law Offices is a nationally recognized personal injury and medical malpractice firm based in Chicago. With over 40 years of experience, the firm has secured record-setting verdicts and settlements for clients in cases involving wrongful death, medical negligence, and catastrophic injuries. Known for their compassionate approach and commitment to excellence, the attorneys at Clifford Law Offices provide clients with the representation needed to hold negligent parties accountable. For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit www.cliffordlaw.com or call (312) 899-9090.