Chicago Jury Awards $49.5M in Boeing 737 MAX Crash Case

This article summarizes reporting by Reuters. This article summarizes publicly available elements and public remarks.

A federal jury in Chicago has awarded $49.5 million in compensatory damages to the family of a 24-year-old victim of the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash. According to reporting by Reuters, the May 13, 2026, verdict represents the largest single-death compensatory award to date stemming from the two catastrophic Boeing 737 MAX disasters that claimed a total of 346 lives in 2018 and 2019.

The trial focused exclusively on determining the appropriate financial compensation owed to the family, as Boeing had previously admitted sole liability for the crash in a 2021 legal stipulation. The victim, Samya Rose Stumo, was a global health worker traveling to Kenya for her first assignment with the public health non-governmental organization ThinkWell. She was also the grand-niece of prominent consumer advocate Ralph Nader.

This landmark decision sets a new financial precedent for the remaining unresolved civil cases against the aerospace manufacturer. We are closely monitoring how this verdict might influence Boeing’s strategy for the final holdout lawsuits, as well as the broader implications for corporate accountability in the Aviation sector.

Breakdown of the $49.5 Million Verdict

Under Illinois wrongful death law, the jury divided the $49.5 million award into three distinct categories to compensate the Stumo family. Based on the provided case details, the largest portion of the award, $21 million, was allocated for Stumo’s pre-death pain and suffering. This specific figure was calculated to account for the passenger’s awareness of impending death and the terror experienced during the flight’s final minutes.

The remaining funds were awarded to compensate the family for their profound emotional toll. The jury allocated $16.5 million for the family’s loss of companionship, alongside an additional $12 million designated for their grief, sorrow, and mental anguish.

Emotional Testimony and Corporate Response

The Stumo family was represented by attorneys Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford of the law firm Kline & Specter. During the trial, emotional testimony highlighted the devastating, long-term impact of the loss on the victim’s relatives.

Michael Stumo, Samya’s father, testified that since her death, the family feels they “don’t have permission to be happy.”

Following the jury’s decision, Boeing issued a statement acknowledging the families’ right to pursue legal action and reiterating their apologies for the tragedies.

“While we have resolved nearly all of these claims through settlements, families are entitled to pursue their claims through the court process,”

A Boeing spokesperson added that the company respects the legal process and remains deeply sorry to all who lost loved ones on both Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight 610.

Civil Precedents and Ongoing Litigation

This trial marks only the second civil case related to the 737 MAX crashes to reach a jury. According to the source material, the first trial concluded in November 2025, resulting in a $28 million verdict for the family of Shikha Garg, a 32-year-old United Nations consultant killed in the same crash. With the addition of interest and a separate out-of-court settlement for her husband, Boeing ultimately agreed to pay Garg’s family a total of $35.8 million.

To date, Boeing has successfully settled more than 90 percent of the over 150 wrongful death lawsuits out of court. The majority of those settlement figures remain confidential. Currently, fewer than a dozen civil cases remain unresolved, leaving a small but significant number of families still seeking their day in court.

The Push for Punitive Damages

While the trial court previously dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims for punitive damages against Boeing executives and parts manufacturers, the legal battle may not be entirely over. Attorneys for the Stumo family have publicly indicated their intention to appeal the dismissal in an effort to reinstate those punitive claims, which are designed to punish corporate misconduct rather than simply compensate victims.

The Parallel Criminal Track

The civil victories achieved by the families contrast sharply with their ongoing frustration regarding the U.S. Department of Justice’s handling of the criminal investigation into Boeing. In May 2025, the DOJ and Boeing reached a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) to resolve criminal fraud investigations. Under this deal, Boeing agreed to pay $1.1 billion, a sum that included fines, a victim compensation fund, and mandatory investments in safety and compliance programs.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor approved the settlement and dismissed the criminal charges against Boeing in November 2025. However, he notably stated in his ruling that the agreement failed to secure the necessary accountability to ensure the Safety of the flying public.

Families of the victims fiercely opposed the DOJ settlement, arguing it allowed Boeing to evade true criminal accountability. They filed a writ of mandamus to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in an attempt to reopen the criminal case. On March 31, 2026, the appeals court denied the families’ bid, upholding the lower court’s dismissal of the charges.

AirPro News analysis

At AirPro News, we observe that this $49.5 million verdict establishes a significantly higher anchor for the remaining civil cases. By nearly doubling the initial jury award from the November 2025 trial, this outcome may force Boeing to reevaluate its Strategy for the final unresolved lawsuits. The financial risk of taking these remaining cases to trial has demonstrably increased.

Furthermore, the persistent efforts by the victims’ families to appeal for punitive damages and challenge the DOJ’s non-prosecution agreement demonstrate a sustained demand for corporate accountability that extends far beyond compensatory financial payouts. The Aviation Industry will likely feel the reverberations of these legal precedents for years to come, particularly concerning how Manufacturers handle liability, automated system design, and safety disclosures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What caused the Boeing 737 MAX crashes?

Investigations revealed that a flawed automated flight-control system known as MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) was implicated in both crashes. Relying on a single faulty angle-of-attack sensor, the system repeatedly forced the planes into uncommanded nosedives that the pilots could not override.

How many people died in the 737 MAX crashes?

A total of 346 people died in two catastrophic disasters: Lion Air Flight 610, which crashed off the coast of Indonesia in October 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which crashed shortly after takeoff in March 2019.

Has Boeing admitted fault for the crashes?

Yes. In a 2021 legal stipulation, Boeing admitted sole responsibility for the Ethiopian Airlines crash. Consequently, recent civil trials have focused exclusively on determining the amount of financial damages owed to the victims’ families, rather than proving liability.

Sources: Reuters