A federal jury in Chicago orders Boeing to pay $49.5 million in damages to the family of Samya Stumo, a 24-year-old American killed in the March 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash involving a Boeing 737 MAX. Multiple outlets report the verdict was delivered in a civil case brought by Stumo’s relatives. The reporting describes Stumo as a nonprofit global health worker.
The award is part of ongoing litigation connected to two Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. Sources agree that the trial focused on damages, after Boeing had already admitted liability, leaving the jury to determine the amount owed. The Ethiopian Airlines crash is described as having resulted in 157 total deaths.
While outlets vary in how they frame the significance of the amount, they consistently state the same core outcome: a jury in Chicago awards $49.5 million to Stumo’s family following the 2019 crash. The verdict sets a figure that other families in related cases may look to as litigation continues.
