Boeing MAX Liability
Jury Awards $29 Million to Family of Boeing 737 MAX Crash Victim
Key Points
The UN memorial page for Mick Ryan notes his humanitarian work beyond the Ebola response, including his efforts in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Ethiopia.
Michael 'Mick' Ryan was 39 years old at the time of the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines MAX crash.
Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the verdict.
A Chicago jury has awarded $29 million to the family of Michael "Mick" Ryan, an Irish-born UN engineer killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crash, according to CTV News. His widow, Naoise Connolly Ryan, brought the civil suit against Boeing. The verdict adds to a growing list of courtroom losses for the aerospace giant tied to the MAX disasters.
Ryan, 39, was one of 346 people killed across two MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. Boeing has acknowledged that its anti-stall software, known as MCAS, played a role in both accidents. The company has faced billions in settlements and is still working through its final civil cases.
Who Was Mick Ryan and What He Left Behind
Ryan worked as an engineer for the UN World Food Programme. He was 39 years old when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 went down on March 10, 2019, just six minutes after takeoff. All 157 people on board died, CP24 reported.
A UN memorial page noted that Ryan had served in some of the world's most dangerous places. His work took him to Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Liberia — where he responded to the Ebola crisis. He also helped Rohingya refugees. Colleagues remembered him as someone who put his skills to work where it mattered most.
Boeing's MCAS Software Brought Down Two Planes
The Ethiopian Airlines crash was the second MAX disaster in five months. Lion Air Flight 610 crashed in October 2018, killing all 189 people on board. Investigators found that faulty sensor data triggered MCAS, the anti-stall system, pushing both planes into fatal nosedives that pilots could not stop.
Boeing apologized and admitted the software was flawed. The company grounded the MAX for nearly two years. It paid out billions in settlements to victims' families and faced criminal charges. Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest $29 million verdict, according to The Province.
$29 Million Verdict Follows a $49.5 Million Award in May
This is not the first large jury verdict against Boeing for the Ethiopian Airlines crash. In May, a jury awarded $49.5 million to the family of Samya Stumo, who also died on Flight 302, according to Vancouver Island CTV News. The two verdicts together top $78 million for just two of the 157 victims on that flight.
These suits are among the last civil cases still making their way through court. Many families settled with Boeing years ago. The remaining trials are now delivering some of the largest individual verdicts yet, putting continued financial and reputational pressure on the company.
What the Verdict Means for Boeing's Legal Future
Boeing is still navigating a wave of legal and regulatory trouble tied to the MAX. Beyond the civil suits, the company struck a deal with the US Justice Department in 2021 over criminal fraud charges. That deal is now under review, with some victims' families arguing Boeing has not been held fully accountable.
Each new jury verdict keeps the MAX disasters in the public eye. For Naoise Connolly Ryan, the $29 million award will not bring her husband back. But her attorneys argue it sends a message: Boeing must answer for decisions that cost 346 lives across two continents.
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