A federal jury in Chicago has ordered Boeing to pay $49.5 million to the family of Samya Stumo, a passenger killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash. This verdict marks one of the final outstanding wrongful death lawsuits stemming from the disaster that claimed the lives of all 157 people aboard.
The jury’s decision addresses the fallout from a crisis that deeply affected Boeing and its 737 Max program. The Ethiopian Airlines crash, which occurred just months after a similar 737 Max crash off the coast of Indonesia, led to a global grounding of the aircraft for over a year and spurred numerous investigations into Boeing's safety practices and the oversight by regulatory bodies.
While Boeing has reached confidential settlements in most of the dozens of wrongful death lawsuits related to both crashes, which together killed 346 people, this case proceeded to a jury verdict. Samya Stumo, 24, was traveling to Nairobi, Kenya, for her work with the nonprofit organization ThinkWell. Her father, Michael Stumo, has been a vocal advocate, pushing Boeing, regulators, and Congress on what families perceived as systemic failures that permitted the 737 Max to remain in service after the initial Indonesian crash.
Read More: 11 Survivors Rescued After Bahamas Plane Crashes Off Florida
This is the second jury award connected to the Ethiopian Airlines disaster. Previously, a U.S. appeals court upheld a Justice Department decision to dismiss a criminal case against Boeing, shielding the manufacturer from prosecution related to the crashes. Lawyers for the Stumo family are reportedly seeking to reinstate punitive damage claims, though Boeing did not contest liability for the damages awarded. Claims for punitive damages against company executives and component manufacturers were dismissed.
The grounding of the 737 Max 8 model, implicated in both fatal incidents, lasted nearly two years as Boeing implemented system upgrades. A non-prosecution agreement in May 2025 allowed Boeing to avoid criminal charges by agreeing to enhanced fines and a commitment to strengthen internal safety and quality measures. Despite these agreements, Boeing continues to face legal entanglements, including lawsuits from its own investors. The manufacturer is currently focused on the certification of its 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 models, as production rates increase, with enhanced FAA oversight now requiring individual sign-offs for each aircraft before it leaves the factory.
Read More: Tiger Woods Returns to Florida After Swiss Rehab for DUI Case
