Chicago Jury Awards $49.5 Million in Damages to Family of Boeing 737 MAX Crash Victim
A Chicago jury awarded $49.5 million in damages to the family of a 24-year-old American who died in the 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash. The lawsuit was filed by the relatives of Samya Stumo, who was one of the 157 victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March 2019. The jury deliberated for about two hours before determining the total damages suffered by the plaintiff.
Most of the civil lawsuits related to the crash have been settled out of court, but Stumo's family was unable to reach an agreement with Boeing before the trial. Boeing expressed its condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes. Stumo was on her way to Kenya for her first assignment with ThinkWell, a public health NGO, when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 was involved in both the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes, leading to the grounding of all 737 Max planes for nearly two years for system upgrades. Boeing faced a criminal fraud charge in connection with the crashes, but federal prosecutors dropped the case after Boeing agreed to pay over $1.1 billion in fines and additional compensation to the crash victims' families. The settlement also required Boeing to enhance its internal safety and quality measures.
In conclusion, the jury's decision to award $49.5 million in damages to Stumo's family highlights the ongoing legal repercussions of the Boeing 737 MAX crashes and the company's efforts to address the aftermath of the tragedies.