Chicago Jury Awards $29 Million To Family Of Irish-Born UN Worker Killed In Boeing 737 MAX Crash

A Chicago jury has awarded $29 million to the family of Michael “Mick” Ryan, an Irish-born UN World Food Programme engineer who died in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crash that killed all 157 people aboard. The verdict is one of the few remaining civil cases linked to the two fatal 737 MAX crashes that claimed 346 lives. Boeing has acknowledged problems involving the aircraft’s anti-stall software and said most victims’ claims have been settled. The ruling comes after a separate Chicago jury awarded $49.5 million to the family of another Ethiopian Airlines crash victim in May.

A Chicago jury has awarded $29 million to the family of an Irish-born United Nations employee who was killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crash, according to court records.
Michael “Mick” Ryan, a 39-year-old engineer with the UN World Food Programme, was among the 157 people killed when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa in March 2019.
The civil case was brought against Boeing by Ryan’s widow, Naoise Connolly Ryan.

JURY FINDS $29 MILLION IN DAMAGES

The US District Court in Chicago recorded the jury’s decision, stating that the total damages suffered by the plaintiff amounted to $29 million.
The verdict provides financial compensation to Ryan’s family, although his lawyers acknowledged that no amount of money could replace his life or erase the loss suffered by his relatives.
Steven Marks, managing partner at the law firm representing the family, described the verdict as an important measure of accountability and justice after what he called a preventable tragedy.

RYAN’S LIFE OF HUMANITARIAN SERVICE

Ryan was not simply an aviation crash victim. His career involved humanitarian work in some of the world's most challenging environments.
He worked during the Ebola crisis in Liberia and supported Rohingya refugees.
A UN memorial page also recognised his work in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Ethiopia.
His death therefore affected not only his family but also colleagues and communities connected to the humanitarian missions he served.

ONE OF THE LAST MAJOR BOEING MAX CASES

The lawsuit is among the final remaining civil cases against Boeing stemming from the two fatal 737 MAX crashes.
The first crash occurred in Indonesia in October 2018, when Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 people aboard.
Five months later, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed in Ethiopia, killing all 157 people on board.
Together, the two disasters claimed 346 lives and triggered one of the biggest crises in Boeing's history.
Most families involved in lawsuits against the company have reached settlements outside court, with the financial terms generally kept confidential.
Ryan was among a smaller group of plaintiffs who chose to continue pursuing their claims through the courts.

BOEING ACKNOWLEDGES SOFTWARE PROBLEMS

Boeing has apologised to the families of those killed in both crashes and acknowledged that problems involving the aircraft's MCAS anti-stall system were implicated in the accidents.
The system was designed to prevent the aircraft from entering an aerodynamic stall but could receive incorrect information from a faulty sensor and repeatedly push the aircraft's nose downward.
Investigations into the crashes found that the pilots struggled to regain control of the aircraft after the system activated.
The disasters led to the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX for almost two years and prompted major changes to the aircraft, pilot training and aviation oversight.

BOEING SAYS MOST CLAIMS HAVE BEEN RESOLVED

A Boeing spokesperson said the company remained deeply sorry to everyone who lost loved ones in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.
The company said nearly all related claims had been resolved through settlements while acknowledging that families had the right to take their cases to court.
In a July 28 US securities filing, Boeing said fewer than five lawsuits brought by families of MAX victims remained pending.

ANOTHER CHICAGO VERDICT

The Ryan verdict comes shortly after another major jury decision involving a victim of the Ethiopian Airlines crash.
In May, a Chicago jury awarded $49.5 million to the family of Samya Stumo, a 24-year-old American who was also killed aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
The series of verdicts keeps attention focused on the human and financial consequences of the MAX disasters more than seven years after the crashes.

BOEING ALSO FACES INVESTOR LITIGATION

The company continues to face legal challenges beyond claims brought by victims' families.
Boeing is appealing a March 2026 US ruling that partially granted class certification to investors who alleged that the company misled them through reassurances about the safety of the 737 MAX following the first crash.
The investor case centres on whether Boeing adequately disclosed problems with the aircraft and its certification process.

A LEGACY OF LOSS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

For Ryan's family, the $29 million verdict represents the conclusion of another chapter in a tragedy that began with the loss of a husband, father and humanitarian worker.
For Boeing, the case adds to a long-running legal and reputational reckoning over the 737 MAX.
While most of the civil claims arising from the two crashes have now been resolved, the remaining cases continue to examine questions of responsibility, corporate accountability and the human cost of failures in aviation safety.