Chicago Jury Awards $29M to Widow of Irish UN Employee Killed in Ethiopian Airlines Crash

A jury in Chicago has awarded $29 million in damages to the widow of Michael 'Mick' Ryan, an Irish United Nations employee who died in a Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia in 2019.

Ryan was among the 157 people killed on board Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302. He had worked as an engineer with the World Food Programme and had helped bring assistance to vulnerable people in various countries, including Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh.

The verdict is seen as a significant milestone in holding Boeing accountable for the tragedy, according to Ryan's lawyers. A Boeing spokesperson expressed regret for the loss of lives and respect for families' right to pursue their claims through the court process.