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Boeing successfully evaded being the first corporation in American history to face criminal felony charges and settled over 90% of the 150+ wrongful death cases following the 737 MAX crashes. Yet, a handful of families have continued to hold out in pursuit of forcing the company into a public trial that would bring the accountability they seek.
The Seattle Times just reported the conclusion of another case on Wednesday, May 13. A jury ordered Boeing to pay $49.5 million to the family of Samya Rose Stumo, a 24-year-old who died when Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 hit the ground outside Addis Ababa. This comes just once after the family of Shika Garg in November 2025 was awarded $28 million and compensation as well.
The Human Toll Of Corporate Negligence
It was found in the aftermath of the crash that Boeing had deceived the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the maneuvering characteristic augmentation software in the plane. They had also not revealed its existence to aircrew, directly causing both crashes that killed a total of 346 people.
Boeing initially agreed to plead guilty to a criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the USG in July 2024. Despite initial statements from the US government that indicated criminal wrongdoing, the company successfully negotiated a legal diversion with the Department of Justice last year after the presiding federal judge, Reed O’Connor, rejected a plea deal in that same year.
Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford, attorneys from Kline & Specter who are representing Stumo’s estate, were quoted by The Seattle as giving this remark on Wednesday:
“We are gratified for the opportunity to try the compensatory damages case.”
The Price Of Cutting Corners
To date, Boeing has paid over $3.8 billion in fines, penalties and settlements, including dedicated compensation funds. These payments include a long list of government agencies, airlines and operators, as well as the victims’ families. Even so, Boeing remains entangled in lawsuits with victims and even its own investors on Wall Street.
After judge O’Connor rejected the plea arrangement in December 2024, the company quickly changed course to avoid a public trial. This legal ‘about face’ coincided with the arrival of Boeing’s new CEO in August 2024, Kelly Ortberg. Below is a summary of Boeing’s payouts to date:
Date | Payee | Category | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
Jan 2021 | Commercial Airline Clients | Grounding operational losses | $1.77 Billion |
Jan 2021 to Nov 2025 | Crash Victims’ Families | Direct federal compensation funds | $944 Million |
Jan 2021 to Nov 2025 | US Department of Justice | Criminal fraud penalties | $487 Million |
Nov 2025 | Boeing Internal Operations | Mandated safety & compliance spending | $453 Million |
Sept 2022 | Securities & Exchange Commission | Investor public deception fine | $200 Million |
Sept 2025 | Federal Aviation Administration | Quality control violations fine | $3 Million |
TOTAL | – | – | $3.857 Billion |
In May 2025, Boeing agreed to a non-prosecution agreement that resulted in higher fines but granted a full dismissal of the case. O’Connor heavily criticized the NPA in public and wrote a 10-page judicial order that heavily cited the crash victim’s family and explicitly stated that the deal failed “to secure the necessary accountability to ensure the safety of the flying public.”
LOT Polish Airlines Takes Boeing To Court Despite Still Flying 26 737 MAX Jets
The parties involved in the trial made their opening statements yesterday at the US District Court in Seattle.
Boeing’s Resurgence: Soaring Demand For The 737 MAX
As the company clears the legal scandals that have marred its name for more than half a decade since the first jet crashed off the coast of Indonesia, airlines and operators around the world are now clamoring to get their hands on more of the jets. The company started 2026 strong with 284 net new orders in the first four months.
This has been complemented by a rebound and output with first-quarter deliveries that outpaced Airbus for the first time since the 737 MAX crisis began. The Federal Aviation Administration raised the production quota of the assembly line to 42 per month late last year, the highest since the door plug blew out in 2024.
The company is hopeful that the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 will be certified this year, as production rates increase. The enormous backlog of more than 1,700 MAX 10 jets will strengthen the company’s bottom line when deliveries begin at full rate.
A major factor in how this is possible is federal oversight. FAA inspectors personally sign off on every individual 737 MAX aircraft before it leaves the factory after the agency stripped Boeing of its certification privileges, further ensuring no more major defects make it to a production airplane.
