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Jury Awards $49.5 Million To Family Of Boeing 737 MAX Victim

A Chicago jury on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, awarded $49.5 million in damages to the family of Boeing 737 MAX crash victim Samya Stumo.[1]

Jurors deliberated for about two hours before issuing the damages figure, and the case was one of the few 737 MAX civil suits that went to trial rather than settling.[1] Boeing said it is deeply sorry for the losses from the Lion Air 610 and Ethiopian 302 crashes and acknowledged families' right to go to trial.[1]

On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board, including 24-year-old American Samya Stumo.[1]

Boeing previously agreed to pay more than $1.1 billion in fines and $445 million in compensation under a deal that avoided criminal prosecution over the MAX.[1] The verdict underscores that some families have pursued trials instead of settling, and that juries can still assign civil liability in individual MAX cases.

  1. CBS News
Courts and Liability Aviation Safety
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📌 Key Facts

  • On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, a Chicago jury awarded $49.5 million in damages to the family of Boeing 737 MAX crash victim Samya Stumo.
  • Stumo, a 24-year-old American, died in the March 10, 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash that killed 157 people.
  • Jurors deliberated for about two hours before issuing the damages figure, one of the few 737 MAX civil cases not resolved through settlement.
  • Boeing said it is deeply sorry for the losses from the Lion Air 610 and Ethiopian 302 crashes and acknowledged families' right to go to trial.
  • Boeing previously agreed to pay more than $1.1 billion in fines and $445 million in compensation under a deal that avoided criminal prosecution over the MAX.

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May 14, 2026
11:58 AM
Jury awards $49.5 million to Boeing 737 MAX crash victim's family
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