Family of Irish plane crash victim awarded $29m in damages

What the report says

A Chicago jury has awarded $29m in damages to the family of Michael Ryan, an Irish United Nations employee killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash, according to BBC World News. The civil case was brought by his widow, Naoise Connolly Ryan, against Boeing. The BBC said the verdict came after the family argued the company should be held accountable for the death of Ryan, who was among 157 people killed when the jet went down shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa.

Ryan lived in Cork and was originally from County Clare. He worked as an engineer for the UN World Food Programme, and the BBC reported that colleagues and family described his work as having helped vulnerable communities in several countries. His widow’s legal team said the jury’s decision was an important step toward justice, while also noting that no payment can replace the loss.

Boeing said it was deeply sorry for those who lost loved ones in the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air 737 Max crashes and said families are entitled to pursue claims through the courts. The case is part of the wider legal fallout from the 737 Max disasters, which led to intense scrutiny of the aircraft’s design and the safety systems involved. The BBC reported that the verdict is significant for Ryan’s family, and also for broader efforts to assign responsibility for the tragedy.