A $29 million damages award handed down in Chicago over the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines disaster has been hailed by lawyers for an Irish victim’s family as a meaningful step toward accountability.
A Chicago jury awarded $29m (€25m) in damages to the family of Micheál ‘Mick’ Ryan after a civil suit was taken against Boeing by his widow, Naoise Connolly Ryan.
Mr Ryan, a father of two, was among those killed when the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed, taking the lives of all 157 people on board.
The Co Clare native had built a career with the United Nations that placed him on the front lines of major humanitarian emergencies, including work in Liberia during the Ebola crisis and with Rohingya refugees.
A UN memorial page for Mr Ryan, who was 39, also highlighted his service in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Ethiopia.
Parts of the landing gear lie in a pile after being gathered during recovery efforts after the 2019 crash
Reacting to the verdict, Ms Connolly Ryan’s attorney Steven Marks said the decision “represents an important measure of accountability and justice for our client”.
“While no financial award can ever replace a life or undo the profound loss his family has endured, we are grateful that the jury carefully considered the evidence and reached this decision,” he said.
Mr Marks said Ms Connolly Ryan had spent years pressing her case with “extraordinary strength and determination”.
“For years, Naoise Connolly Ryan has pursued justice for Mick with extraordinary strength and determination, and we have been honored to stand beside her in her unwavering pursuit to hold Boeing accountable.”
“Although the verdict marks a significant milestone, the broader effort to hold Boeing responsible for this tragedy, and to help prevent anything like it from happening again, is just as important.”
Watch: $29m damages for Micheál Ryan’s family a ‘significant recognition’ – attorney
Boeing, in a statement, said it remained “deeply sorry to all who lost loved ones on Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
“While we have resolved nearly all of these claims through settlements, families are entitled to pursue their claims through the court process, and we respect their right to do so.”
The Ryan case was among the last remaining civil actions still pending against Boeing stemming from two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that together resulted in 346 deaths.
Read more:
Irishman among 157 victims of Ethiopian Airlines crash
‘He wanted to save the world,’ says Micheál Ryan’s mother
Most lawsuits tied to the two crashes have been resolved in out-of-court settlements on undisclosed terms. Mr Marks, however, previously said his client was “committed to seeking accountability and justice from a jury and not accepting money from Boeing directly”.
Boeing has apologised for the crashes and has acknowledged that anti-stall software was implicated in both incidents.
In May, another Chicago jury awarded $49.5m in damages to the family of Samya Stumo, a 24-year-old American who also died on the same flight.
Those killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash came from 35 countries.
The flight, heading for Nairobi in Kenya, went down near the town of Bishoftu, about 50km southeast of Addis Abada.
The jet departed at 8.38am local time on 10 March 2019 and lost contact with the control tower six minutes later, at 8.44am.
Ethiopian Airlines’ chief executive said the pilot, described as having an “excellent flying record”, reported difficulties and was given clearance to return.
The aircraft itself was relatively new: it was only a few months old, having made its first flight at the end of October.
Its most recent maintenance took place on 4 February 2019 and it had logged just 1,200 hours of flying time.
