A federal jury has ordered Boeing to pay $49.5 million to the family of a young woman killed in a 2019 plane crash. This ruling comes after a long court fight over the Boeing 737 MAX 8 disaster. It marks the biggest jury award yet in lawsuits tied to the crashes.
The Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Crash
On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 took off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane crashed minutes later near Bishoftu. All 157 people on board died, including passengers from more than 30 countries.
Samya Rose Stumo, a 24-year-old from the United States, was one of the victims. She had just graduated from college and was heading to Kenya for humanitarian work. The crash happened five months after a similar Boeing 737 MAX 8 accident with Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia, which killed 189 people.
These two crashes led to a worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX planes. Problems with the plane’s flight control software came under heavy review.
The Jury’s Decision in Stumo’s Case
The verdict came on May 13, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Judge Jorge L. Alonso oversaw the trial. The jury awarded $49.5 million in damages to Stumo’s family.
Lawyers from Kline & Specter in Philadelphia represented the family. Unlike most other families, they turned down Boeing’s offer to admit fault without a full trial. This choice led to a public jury decision on the amount of money.
The award covers compensatory damages for the loss of Stumo’s life. It sets a high mark for similar cases from the Flight 302 crash.
A Seven-Year Legal Fight
Stumo’s family started their lawsuit soon after the crash. Boeing faced over 150 wrongful death claims from both MAX crashes. The company has settled more than 90% of them out of court.
Total costs for Boeing, including fines, penalties, and settlements, top $3.8 billion. Most families accepted Boeing’s liability agreement to avoid trials. Stumo’s case stood out as one of the few to reach a jury.
This trial tested how much a court would award for a young victim’s death. The family stayed visible in public, pushing for accountability.
How This Compares to Other Verdicts
This is the second jury award from Flight 302 cases in the same Illinois court. In November 2025, another jury gave $28 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a UN worker who died on the flight.
Garg’s family later got $35.85 million after adding 26% interest. Boeing chose not to appeal that one. The Stumo award beats the original Garg jury amount.
These rulings act as benchmarks for any remaining cases. They show juries value lives lost in these crashes at tens of millions of dollars each.
Boeing’s Ongoing Challenges
The 737 MAX crashes sparked years of investigations and changes at Boeing. The company fixed software issues and returned the planes to service in late 2020. Still, legal claims continue.
With most suits settled, few trials remain. But each verdict like this one keeps pressure on Boeing. It highlights the lasting impact of the 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash on families and the company’s finances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302?
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, 2019, killing all 157 people on board near Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
How much did the jury award Samya Stumo’s family?
The jury awarded $49.5 million in compensatory damages to the family of the 24-year-old victim.
Why did Stumo’s family choose a trial over a settlement?
Unlike most families, they turned down Boeing’s offer to admit fault without a trial, leading to a public jury decision on the damages.
How does this verdict compare to others from the same crash?
It is the largest jury award from Flight 302 cases, topping the $28 million given in 2025 to another victim’s family, which later grew to $35.85 million with interest.
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