A jury in Chicago has awarded $49.5 million in damages to the family of a 24-year-old American woman who died in the 2019 crash of a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The lawsuit was filed by relatives of Samya Stumo, who perished in the March 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 disaster that killed all 157 people on board.
Jury Verdict and Compensation Details
After deliberating for approximately two hours, the jury determined that the total damages suffered by the plaintiff amounted to $49.5 million, according to court documents. The awarded sum includes $21 million for the pain and suffering experienced by Stumo during the fatal flight, $16.5 million for the loss of her companionship to her family, and $12 million for the family's grief, as stated in a press release from Kline & Specter, the law firm representing Stumo's estate.
Context of the Lawsuit
While nearly all civil lawsuits related to the crash had been settled out of court, Stumo's family was unable to reach an agreement with Boeing prior to the trial, which commenced on Monday. Boeing expressed its condolences in a statement, saying, "We are 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."
Legal Proceedings and Next Steps
Attorneys Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford of Kline & Specter stated, "We are gratified for the opportunity to try the compensatory damages case. Next, we will seek appellate reinstatement of the punitive damages claims against the Boeing executives and the component part manufacturers." Stumo was traveling to Kenya for her first assignment with ThinkWell, a public health NGO focused on improving healthcare access in Africa and Asia. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing everyone aboard.
Background of the Crashes
The Ethiopian Airlines crash followed a Lion Air crash in Indonesia about four and a half months earlier. The two accidents claimed a total of 346 lives. Boeing acknowledged that anti-stall software was implicated in both crashes. During the trial, attorney Specter argued that Boeing was "negligent," the aircraft was "unsafe," and that "Boeing caused this crash and these deaths." Testimony from Stumo's father, Michael Stumo, highlighted the ongoing impact on the family: "It feels like since she's been gone, we don't have permission to be happy. Sometimes you catch yourself being happy, and you correct yourself, like you shouldn't be."
Boeing's Position and Other Cases
Boeing's attorney, Dan Webb, expressed the company's sorrow over the crash but noted that its "only disagreement" with the Stumo family was "on the exact amount of compensation." In 2025, a US judge dropped criminal charges against Boeing related to the crashes as part of an agreement between the company and prosecutors. In November, a Chicago jury awarded $28.45 million to the widower of another MAX crash victim. A second trial in January was halted after an out-of-court settlement was reached on the second day. The next trial is scheduled for August 3 and involves the death of Michael Ryan from Ireland. Separately, Boeing is facing a trial in Seattle federal court brought by Polish airline LOT, which seeks at least $250 million in damages for lost income during the 2019-2020 MAX grounding following the two deadly crashes.
