Cases on behalf of a Canadian man who lost his parents and sister killed in the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX8 jet settled late Tuesday, January 13, 2026, after a jury was selected and opening statements were set to begin Wednesday morning. The amounts were confidential.
Robert Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices in Chicago and lead counsel for the plaintiffs, was set to give his opening statement this morning before eight jurors selected all day Tuesday before U.S. District Court Judge Jorge Alonso in Chicago, who presided over the trial to determine damages. It was expected to last through much of next week.
The settled cases are on behalf of Manant Vaidya of Toronto, who lost his parents, Pannagesh and Hansini Vaidya, and his sister Kosha Vaidya in the 2019 crash of a Boeing 737 MAX8 aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff in Ethiopia. The Vaidya family lived in Canada at the time of the crash and was traveling during the young girls’ spring break to show the girls where their mom was born. All three were killed. Her parents traveled with them to see friends who still lived there.
All 157 people on board from 35 countries were killed in the March 10, 201,9 crash. Also among the decedents on the Boeing jet were Kosha’s husband, Preritkumar Dixit, and their two children, Ashka and Anushka Dixit.
Clifford said, “Boeing accepted full responsibility for the senseless and preventable loss of these innocent lives, and this corporate giant has now been held accountable to this family, especially to this good man who lost his dear mom, dad, and sister.”
The crash of the Boeing 737 MAX8 jet, Flight ET-302, occurred shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, heading to Kenya. Dan Webb of Winston & Strawn was leading the litigation for the defense.
For further information, contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell) or Pammenaker@cliffordlaw.com.