SHEFFIELD — Seven years after Samya Stumo was killed in a Boeing plane crash in Ethiopia, a Chicago jury has awarded her family $49.5 million.

But for Stumo's mother, Nadia Milleron, the case isn't about the money.

Samya Stumo, left, her father Michael Stumo, and her mother, Nadia Milleron. A Chicago jury has awarded the family $49.5 million, seven years after the plane crash that killed Stumo.

Milleron, who has spent years pushing for stronger aviation safety protections and accountability from Boeing, said her family refused to quietly settle because litigation is one way to keep the conversation going.

"The basic point of litigation in this case is to get accountability, so that you don't get a repeat," Milleron said.

Stumo, a Mount Everett graduate, was 24 years old when she boarded Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019, as an analyst for the global health organization ThinkWell. She was on her way to help set up local offices for projects meant to make health care more affordable in six countries.

But six minutes after taking off from Ethiopia bound for Kenya with 157 passengers and crew aboard, the Boeing 737 Max jet crashed, killing everyone on board. It was the second time in months the model crashed.

After years of legal back-and-forth over whether Boeing violated its compliance obligations by concealing the software's safety flaws from regulators, a criminal fraud case against the company was dismissed after Boeing agreed to pay additional fines and submit to independent oversight.

This trial was not about whether Boeing caused the crash, because the company had already accepted responsibility. Instead, the civil trial focused on compensatory damages.

Investigators found Boeing had taken shortcuts to trim costs and rush the planes to market while largely regulating itself. The crashes were attributed in large part to automated flight-control software and faulty sensor readings, while pilots were not fully informed about how the system functioned and key details were omitted from flight manuals.

After a 10-day trial, the jury awarded the family $21 million for Stumo’s suffering on the flight, $16.5 million for the family’s loss of companionship and $12 million for grief, Milleron said.

For Milleron, the verdict is less a conclusion than another stage in a yearslong campaign over aviation safety and corporate accountability.

"What can we do with this money that's reflective of Samya and her values?" Milleron said.

Large corporations frequently resolve severe safety and compliance failures by paying monetary penalties, something Milleron said she is trying to challenge. While the award is significant, it is relatively small for a multibillion-dollar company like Boeing, she said.

Dozens of lawsuits related to the crash ended in private settlements, but Milleron and her family didn't want a secret settlement.

Because Boeing already admitted fault, the company itself was no longer effectively "on trial" for causing the crash, leaving the proceedings centered on determining the value of Stumo’s life and the family's loss.

"This trial was extremely damaging for our family," she said. "It is absolutely disgusting that after a trial and Boeing is admitting guilt, they are admitting that through their negligence, they killed all these people, and then what is the trial about? It's about my daughter's worth and her relationships to our family, and how valid those were."

Milleron, who lives in Sheffield, has spent the last seven years pressing lawmakers for stronger aviation safety protections to prevent another crash, advocacy that later inspired her run for  U.S. House to represent Massachusetts' 1st Congressional District and unseat U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. This will be her second run against the longtime congressmen, as she lost to Neal in 2024.

Nadia Milleron, of Sheffield, ran for U.S. Congress against Rep. Richard Neal in 2024.

She said she has also helped push for reforms at the Federal Aviation Administration to strengthen oversight of Boeing.

For Milleron, the crash is not something confined to courtrooms or congressional hearings. Seven years later, it still follows her onto every airplane.

Before every flight, she checks the type of aircraft because she refuses to fly on a 737 Max jet.