Boeing Faces $29 Million Damages Bill in 737 MAX Crash Lawsuit

A US court has awarded $29 million in damages to the family of Michael 'Mick' Ryan, an Irish citizen and UN employee who died in the 2019 Boeing 737 MAX plane crash in Ethiopia. The jury in Chicago delivered this verdict in a civil lawsuit filed by Ryan's wife, Naoise Connolly Ryan, against aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

Ryan was one of 157 people on board Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 that crashed shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa for Nairobi in March 2019. The plane had been designed and manufactured by Boeing, which has faced intense scrutiny over the safety of its 737 MAX aircraft following two major accidents.

The Ryan family's lawyer, Steven C. Marks, stated that financial compensation could never bring back a lost life but called the decision an important step towards justice. The jury had carefully reviewed the evidence before making their ruling.