Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. But now, Michaud said, he returns to an apartment that doesn't feel like a home. The last thing she said to him was, "Babe, I had the best time of my life." We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. The sum they are seeking has not been disclosed, however a previous claim filed by the family against the National Park Service which is the step before a lawsuit can be filed asked for more than $A351 million. minutes. Judge Bruce Jenkins said he wants to "examine with care" all the information presented during the weeklong trial. Mr Michaud and Ms Nakajjigos family have filed a lawsuit in a US court accusing the National Park Service of negligence, Fox 13 reports. The gate had been left unlatched against federal policy for two weeks prior to the tragic accident in June 2020. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. The gate had been unsecured for the previous two weeks, despite national park requirements that prohibit gates from swinging, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. National parks begin to reopen across the country. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic "Ludo" Michaud, 26, were driving to get ice cream during a camping trip June 13 when a metal gate blew closed in strong winds and sliced . What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang said. In 2020, Ludovic Michaud was driving with his 25-year-old wife Esther Nakajjigo out of Utah's Arches National Park to get ice cream on June 13 when a metal gate swung into the car and cut her. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the Salt Lake Tribune. 45 Join Insider . Ms McGinn described Nakajjigo as a prominent womens rights activist who rose from poverty to become the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda focused on empowering women around issues such as education and healthcare. He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with flashbacks. Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. The federal trial began Monday in Utah, where the husband and family of Nakajjigo are seeking $140 million in damages from the U.S. government, arguing in a complaint that the national park was negligent and failed to properly maintain the gate. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los As the couple was leaving the park, gusts of wind swung the gate around rapidly, enough to slice through the passenger side door of the couples car, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat feet away in the drivers seat. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. She added that the plaintiffs' assumption that Nakajjigo would have taken a salary "far in excess" of most nonprofit CEOs is "simply contrary to everything the court has heard about her," Berndt said. Family of Ugandan activist who was decapitated at UT national park gets The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud) Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. Nakajjigo worked on fundraising to open a hospital in an underserved part of Kampala, Ugandas capital, became a philanthropic celebrity and immigrated to the United States for a fellowship at the Boulder, Colorado-based Watson Institute for emerging leaders. The wind whipped a metal gate round which sliced through the passenger door of the car and decapitated Esther. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the. Esther Nakajjigo was driving with her newlywed husband on their honeymoon in Arches when an open road gate was swung by strong winds into their rental car. But an attorney for her parents and husband said they were grateful for the judgment, which represents the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history, the Associated Press reported. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The claim describes Nakajjigos final moments in graphic detail and says the end of the lance-like gate pierced the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter.. The tragic accident is now the subject of a wrongful death lawsuit Michaud and Nakajjigo's family are pursuing, in which they argue that the U.S. Park Service was negligent and did not maintain . First published on November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. In the opening statements of the wrongful death lawsuit, attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigos family recounted the moment Michaud realised his wife had been killed. Nakajjigo was decapitated after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her car, killing her immediately as her husband sat in the seat next to her. On June 13, 2020, Nakajjigo, who was riding in the passenger seat as her husband drove them out of the park, was suddenly decapitated when the triangular, metal gate swung around and sliced into their rental car. In opening statements Monday in Salt Lake City, their attorneys said they were seeking $140 million (115m) in damages from the government accounting for Esther's earning potential. The family of a womens rights activist who was killed in a gruesome accident at a national park is suing a US agency over her tragic death. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death A family is getting $10 million in the wrongful death of Ugandan human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated by a swinging metal gate in Arches National Park, Utah. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. John Ssenkindu, Esther's brother, told journalists that her sister was hit by a metallic gate of the Arches National Park in the US . During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didnt have a Bachelors degree. The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent Ugandan human rights activist killed in Arches National Park in 2020. Family of Ugandan Awarded $10.5M for Utah Park Death "Because (Nakajjigo) is off the charts, you can't use the charts to evaluate her," McGinn said. ", In 2020, Ludovic Michaud was driving with his 25-year-old wife Esther Nakajjigo out of Utah's Arches National Park to get ice cream on June 13 when a metal gate swung into the car and cut her head off, according to a wrongful death administrative claim obtained by NBC News. What if they had gone on a different day, or left at a different time? Michaud said he and Nakajjigo were two weeks shy of closing on a condo when the accident occurred, with hopes of owning a house down the road. It's really a full-time job," he said. They stipulate, however, that the plaintiffs should be awarded $22,508 for Nakajjigo's funeral expenses and $5,000 for Michaud's therapy expenses. Nakajjigos remains were flown back to Uganda in August. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigo's death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan women's rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. Michaud and his in-laws are asking a federal judge for $140 million. He spoke, too, about the difficulty of sending his wife's body to Uganda in a cardboard box; how only her hands, one of them broken, were visible at her funeral; and how he moved to a new apartment after the accident, unable to bear the reminders of the life he'd shared with Nakajjigo. Human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020, when a traffic control gate blew into her rental car at Arches National Park in the US state of Utah. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. Ludovic Michaud and his new wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were driving around Arches National Park on a windy spring day in 2020 when a metal gate whipped around, sliced through the passenger door of. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. Opening arguments began Monday in Salt Lake City in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a 25-year-old women's rights activist from Uganda who was killed by a wind-blown gate during a camping trip to Arches National Park in June 2020. 72 Join Insider . A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . Berndt also said her team can take into account only Nakajjigo's education and earning history at the time of her death, exclusive from the money she raised for charitable organizations. She was always willing to help, he said. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. Its known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Esther Nakajjigo was a Ugandan human rights activist and newlywed wife when the 25-year-old was killed at Arches National Park in 2020, decapitated by an unsecured gate that is now at the center of a wrongful death trial. Ms Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludo Michaud, 26, were driving out of the scenic parks carpark when wind caught the unlatched gate and the metal pole on top sliced through the side of their rental car and hit Ms Nakajjigo in the head and neck, killing her instantly. The family says under federal park rules, similar gates should be secured, but the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo had been unlatched for weeks, Fox 13 reports. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. Nakajjigo had been celebrated for using money earmarked for her college tuition to instead open a nonprofit community health center in Uganda at age 17. Esther Nakajjigo's horrified husband was driving when a metal gate was whipped round in the wind and cut into the car where she was sitting and beheading her in Arches National Park in Utah, US. Drenched in his wifes blood, Michaud instinctively jumped out of the slowly moving car after impact, then got back in to put it in park. National Park Service faces $270M wrongful death claim - USA TODAY Esther Nakajjigo lost her life when she was decapitated at an entrance to Arches National Park in Utah back in June. Posted at 10:15 PM, Nov 12, 2020 Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Instead, "the end of the lance-like gate pierced the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter." They argued that had employees installed the gate properly and secured it with an $8 padlock, Nakajjigos death could have been prevented, NBC News reported. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together, he said. Family sues after newlywed is killed by gate at Arches park November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM The family of a woman beheaded by a metal gate in front of her husband at a national park has launched a lawsuit for $140million (115m). Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News who focuses on health and mental health, particularly issues that affect women and children. "This act of selflessness went viral throughout Uganda, and she was featured in numerous magazines and news publications. I was a couple of inches from dying, but I didnt, and right now I have a mission: Its to make sure what shes done continues.. The wind whipped a metal. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgment, saying it was the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. It feels lonely, and thats hard. All rights reserved. It impaled their car and decapitated Nakajjigo. This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. Accident claims Ugandan activist Nakajjigo in US - New Vision Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigos family, on Monday asked the family to leave when he described the death in gruesome detail. At age 17, she used her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center, which provided free reproductive health services to young women and girls. "The National Park Service has, in fact, known for decades that an unsecured metal pipe gate creates an undetectable hazard and dangerous condition," the claim states. Theres a newsletter that went out to all the parks and the National Park Service that warned of this decades ago. The trial gave me and Essies family members an opportunity to tell Essies beautiful story, and it was so important to me to have the chance to stand up and speak for this amazing woman.. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigo's death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan women's rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. The family of a human rights activist killed in a freak accident at Utah's Arches State Park won $10.5 million in damages from the U.S. government. "On behalf of the family, we are very appreciative of the judge's attention to detail, the time he spent working on this, and for the value he put on the loss to this family of Essie," added Littlepage. Her mother flew to Utah from Uganda to attend the trial this week. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was driving around the stunning Arches National Park in Utah, US, in 2020 along with her husband Ludovic Michaud when the unthinkable happened. $140M trial begins over death of Ugandan woman killed in Utah park Ludovic Michaud and his new wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were driving around Arches National Park on a windy spring day in 2020 when a metal gate whipped around, sliced through the passenger door of. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. The family of a young woman who was killed by a swinging gate at Arches National Park has sued the park service over her death. A woman who had married her husband only three months ago has died after a horror crash saw a car park gate swing through the couple's car and cut off her head. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, Michaud said. Michaud was the last plaintiff witness in the civil trial over the June 13, 2020, death of his wife, Esther Nakajjigo. At age 17, she used her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center, which provided free reproductive health services to young women and girls. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan activist who'd moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder, died June 13, 2020, while visiting the park with her husband of two In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. The. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. At age 17, Nakajjigo was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women, according to the claim. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent Ugandan human rights activist killed in Arches National Park in 2020 Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Matthew McConaugheys wife was among the passengers on board a Lufthansa flight struck by severe turbulence and has described the chaos. By his verdict, Judge Bruce Jenkins has shown the world how the American justice system works to hold its own government accountable and greatly values all lives, including that of Esther Nakajjigo, a remarkable young woman from Uganda, Randi McGinn, the familys attorney said in a statement. By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her . Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Esther Nakajjigo had been visiting Utah's Arches National Park when she was killed by a gate caught in the wind. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. "We want you to know, on behalf of the United States, this accident and Essie's death was the responsibility of the United States," Nelson told Michaud. But when she met Michaud in June 2019 in Aurora, Colorado, through a dating app, he just saw her as a smart person who loved to laugh. According to the official statement from Wilson Jaga, the communications head for the office of the Ugandan Women and Girls, Nakajjigo was hit by a metallic gate of the Arches National Park due. In his judgement, Jenkins said the government had provided a more reasonable projection of Nakajjigos earnings potential. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "For want of an $8.00 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good; a young woman influencer who was destined to become our society's future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates or Oprah Winfrey," read the initial claim from Nakajjigo's husband and family. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a . IE 11 is not supported. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. "We respect the judges decision and hope this award will help her loved ones as they continue to heal for this tragedy," added the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah. All times AEDT (GMT +11). They had wanted three children. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death You wouldnt able to detect it or see it.. The family of a women's rights activist from Uganda has filed a $270 million administrative claim against the National Park Service after she was killed by an . Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent Ugandan human rights activist killed in Arches National Park in 2020. After seeing a pregnant 14-year-old girl die during a difficult delivery, Nakajjigo decided to use her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center that provided free reproductive health services to females aged 10-24. "I'm doing whatever I can to get better. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent Ugandan human rights activist killed in Arches National Park in 2020. The trip to the wind-weathered sandstone of Arches National Park was supposed to be a celebration a chance for Ludovic Michaud, of Denver, to show his new wife one of his favorite landmarks. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax The gruesome nature of Nakajjigo's death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan women's rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate at Ms Nakajjigo met Mr Michaud after she relocated to the US, where she was awarded the Luff Peace Fellowship by the University of Boulder in Colorado. New pill cuts cholesterol, heart attacks, Suspect in Dylan Rounds disappearance charged with murder. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. The familys lawsuit claims when the national parks reopened in April 2020 after being shuttered due to Covid-19, rangers at the national park in Utah didnt secure the gate in place, which in effect turned a metal pipe into a spear that went straight through the side of a car, decapitating and killing Esther Nakajjigo. Arches accidental beheading trial ends, but verdict is still pending / CBS Colorado. Estimated read time: 5-6 Monday's closing arguments focused heavily on the differences in testimony made by several economic experts, two of whom projected that Nakajjigo would have earned at least $9 million in her lifetime and the third who estimated Nakajjigo would have made between about $750,000 and $938,000. Trial opens in death of woman killed by metal gate in Utah | wltx.com The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. It alleges that if park employees had properly installed the gate to not swing into oncoming traffic or placed an $8 padlock on the gate to secure it from moving in the breeze, the world would not have lost a young woman influencer destined to become our societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey.. The National Park Service has not commented in relation to the new lawsuit but has previously released a statement expressing sympathy for the young womans death. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. The newly married Michaud and Nakajjigo took a weekend trip to Arches National Park as a welcome break after months of lockdown amid the pandemic, court documents said. Denver woman killed during visit to Arches National Park Denver woman's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death The couple was leaving a park parking lot to get ice cream when a metal traffic control gate swung into the road, piercing the passenger side of the couples rental car and severing Nakajjigos head. Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's husband and parents initially filed a $270 million claim against the National Park Service in 2021 over her death This decision serves as a reminder of the importance of proper maintenance and safety measures in our national parks, so as to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, Michaud said in a statement to CBS News on Monday. Newlywed woman decapitated by car park entrance gate blown open in high "The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Uganda's 'Young Personality of the Year,'" the Post reported. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. The trial began in December and in court, per the AP, family attorney Randi McGinn reportedly argued Nakajjigo could have eventually brought in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, annually had she survived. The French national said he and his wife, who had only been married for three months and lived in Denver, Colorado, had been on a hike and had lunch before driving out of the park. But U.S. Attorney Amanda Berndt said while there's no question that the plaintiffs are entitled to a reward, a proper calculation of Nakajjigo's lost earnings must include the possibility that she might have left the workforce at some point for a variety of reasons.
Air Force Bmt Commander's Excellence Award,
What Animals Live In The Abyssopelagic Zone,
Tiger Woods Si Rookie Card Sheet,
Neralls 36 Pound Thrust Trolling Motor,
Articles E
