Boeing 737 Max Families Awarded $29 Million in Damages
A jury in Chicago has awarded $29 million in damages to the family of Michael 'Mick' Ryan, an Irish United Nations employee who died in the Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia in 2019.
Ryan's widow, Naoise Connolly Ryan, brought a civil suit against the aircraft manufacturer and was represented by lawyer Steven C Marks, who said that while no financial award can replace a life or undo the profound loss her family has endured, they are grateful for the decision.
The Boeing 737 Max crashed on March 10, 2019, killing 157 people. The plane took off from Addis Ababa and crashed six minutes later near the town of Bishoftu. An investigation into the accident suggested that two sensors measuring the angle of flight began to record different readings, triggering an automated safety system which repeatedly pushed the nose of the plane down.
A Boeing spokesperson said the company is 'deeply sorry' to all who lost loved ones and respects the right for families to pursue their claims. The United Nations World Food Programme credits Ryan with bringing assistance to vulnerable people in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh, where he helped build shelters and infrastructure that saved tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees from landslides and floods.