$29 Million Awarded to Family of Irish Victim in Boeing Crash Case

A Chicago jury has awarded $29 million in damages to the family of Michael 'Mick' Ryan, an Irish-born engineer who was among the 157 people killed in the March 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

Ryan, 39 at the time of the crash, had lived in Cork with his wife and their two children before relocating for his UN work. He served as deputy chief engineer with the World Food Programme, which took him to some of the world's toughest humanitarian emergencies.

Connolly Ryan chose to pursue her case before a US jury instead of accepting a private settlement from Boeing, like most families did. Her attorney praised her 'extraordinary strength and determination' in seeking accountability.

The verdict follows a similar award in May when another Chicago jury granted $49.5 million to the family of Samya Stumo, an American aid worker who also died in the crash. This stands in contrast to how most African families' claims were resolved through confidential settlements rather than public trials.