Chicago Jury Awards $49.5 Million to Family of 737 MAX Crash Victim

On May 14, 2026, a jury in Chicago reached a verdict awarding $49.5 million in compensation to the family of Samya Stumo, a 24-year-old American who perished in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash involving a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This tragedy, occurring in March 2019, resulted in 157 fatalities.

Stumo’s family brought the suit against Boeing after failing to reach a settlement before the trial commenced on Monday. Court documents reveal that the jury deliberated for roughly two hours before determining the total damages.

Most civil lawsuits from the crash have been settled outside of court, although Stumo’s family opted for legal proceedings. Boeing acknowledged the tragic loss endured by families from both the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and the Lion Air Flight 610 crashes. The company expressed regret and reiterated its respect for families seeking justice through legal avenues.

Samya Stumo was on her way to Kenya for her first assignment with ThinkWell, a public health organization focused on expanding healthcare access in Africa and Asia when the plane crashed shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Airlines disaster came closely after a Lion Air crash in Indonesia that claimed 189 lives, with both incidents involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8 model. Resultantly, Boeing grounded the 737 MAX fleet for nearly two years to implement necessary system upgrades.

Boeing faced criminal fraud charges linked to these crashes, which were resolved when the company agreed to pay over $1.1 billion in fines and $445 million in compensation to the victims’ families. This agreement also tasked Boeing with enhancing its internal safety and quality protocols, hence avoiding criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading U.S. regulators about the aircraft.