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. He no longer has a TV in his apartment because the sight of any blood is triggering, he said. Mr Michaud and Ms Nakajjigos family have filed a lawsuit in a US court accusing the National Park Service of negligence, Fox 13 reports. Instead, "the end of the lance-like gate pierced the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter." 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. 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. Instead, Michaud met his wife's family -- who traveled to the States from Uganda -- for the first time just before the trial started. The claim she served is legally required before a lawsuit can be filed in court. The ruling was. A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . Disputing the family's claims the victim was on track to become the CEO of a non-profit who could eventually have netted an annual income in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. The closing arguments came after five days of trial that included testimony from Nakajjigo's family, friends and mentors, as well as from bystanders who witnessed the accident. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. She met Ludovic Michaud in Boulder, Colorado, when she went there for a leadership accelerator program in 2019, and the two of them married in March 2020. 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. I couldnt work properly for a couple of months. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. Nakajjigo created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. Esther Nakajjigo was beheaded after the wind whipped a metal gate round cutting into the passenger side of the car, Esther Nakajjigo with her husband Ludovic Michaud, A picture of the gates that led to the young woman's death. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. The ongoing trial will largely focus on determining the damages that may go to her family and Michaud. IE 11 is not supported. Photo: Esther Nakajjigo/Twitter. 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. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together.. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Judge Bruce Jenkins said he wants to "examine with care" all the information presented during the weeklong trial. SALT LAKE CITY Ludovic "Ludo" Michaud has tortured himself with a lot of "what ifs?" Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. All rights reserved. At just 17, using her college tuition money, she created a nonprofit community health center. "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. (Julie Jacobson | AP file photo) A Denver man has filed a $270 million wrongful death claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, against the National Park Service after a metal gate at Arches National Park collided collided with his car on June 13, killing his wife. minutes. 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. mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. Nakajjigo was a women's rights champion in her home country of Uganda; she founded a nonprofit community health center using her college tuition money, and created two reality TV shows centered around empowering women. Nakajjigo received numerous international accolades and awards and had come to the United States to further her education, participating in programs at Drexel University in Philadelphia as a Mandela Washington Fellow and at the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, where she was the recipient of a Luff Peace Fellowship. 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. He smiled at some points as he shared photos and memories of happier times affectionate birthday cards, silly nicknames, meals cooked together, the rose petals Nakajjigo arranged into the shape of a heart with an "I" and a "U" on either side. By age 25, when she died, she had accomplished more than most people do in an entire lifetime and had much more to do with her life, court documents state. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. Lindsay Whitehurst/AP FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Nakajjigo was decapitated after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her . The family had initially sought a total of $270 million in damages, before lowering the amount to $140 -- while the government only wanted to pay $3.5 million. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. "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. 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.. DENVER (CBS4) - The family of a Denver woman has filed a $270 million wrongful death claim against Arches National Park after she was killed there over the summer. At other points, he dabbed at his eyes; he lived like a student before meeting Nakajjigo, he said, but she turned their apartment into a home. He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with flashbacks. The claim, served Oct. 22, is seeking more than $270 million in damages from the National Park Service. Her husband, Michaud, is seeking $240 million in damages from the National Park Service, while Nakajjigo's family is seeking $30 million. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Angeles Times Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. 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. Yet park employees could have done a lot, the claim alleges, including taking note during inspections of the gate that it posed a danger and putting an inexpensive padlock on it. During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential. At age 17, Nakajjigo was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women, according to the claim. She was always willing to help, he said. We hope that, in some way, the conclusion of this trial will help with your moving forward.". Everything reminds Michaud of Nakajjigo. 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. 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. 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. 2023 EHM Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. Ms Chang described the part of the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo as being like a metal spear or a lance and hit the car in literally a split second. 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. Theres a newsletter that went out to all the parks and the National Park Service that warned of this decades ago. Courtesy Ludovic Michaud Nakajjigo. 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. The family of Ugandan philanthropist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated by a traffic gate in front of her husband in Arches National Park in Utah, has been awarded $10.5m. During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. 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.. What if they had gone on a different day, or left at a different time? US attorneys have said this claim was too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. According to a court filing, the National Park Service and Arches National Park created a lethal and undetectable danger with the gate, which turned a metal pipe into a spear that went straight through the side of a car, decapitating and killing Esther Nakajjigo.. Later, his chin trembled as Nelson delivered the government's apology. Recreation areas had recently opened after pandemic-era closures and, on the edge of Arches, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. FILE Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. SALT LAKE CITY The family of human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated in an accident in Arches National Park, has sued the National Park Service. Trial begins in civil suit filed for accidental beheading death at Arches, National Park Service faces $270M wrongful death claim for death at Arches, 6 people arrested following drive-by shooting in Iron County, Man struck, killed by FrontRunner in Clearfield, Legislative wrap: Under-the-radar bills you may have missed on the last day of the session, Northern Utah man faces 30 felonies in child pornography case, 15-year-old boy dies after being found in crashed car with gunshot wounds, Pennsylvania unseals more court document details in Idaho killings, Provo River diverted as restoration project reaches 'major milestone', 1 killed when business jet encounters severe turbulence, Do not 'push a slower friend down' if you encounter a bear, National Park Service warns, CDC issues advisory after confirmed measles case in Kentucky, Police say man killed by Farmington officers had gun; victim's mom filed suit over other traffic stop, 27% of Utah students are chronically absent. He said he didnt deny Nakajjigo was an extraordinary person, but argued it was difficult to speculate what kind of work she would have gone on to do. Pour en savoir plus sur la faon dont nous utilisons vos donnes personnelles, veuillez consulter notre politique relative la vie prive et notre politique en matire de cookies. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. ", 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. They argued that had employees installed the gate properly and secured it with an $8 padlock, Nakajjigos death could have been prevented, 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, on Monday. 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. deductible, Report a missed paper by emailingsubscribe@sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe@sltrib.com. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud). 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. The. 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. Ludovic Michaud was driving around the scenic red rock landscapes of Utah's Arches National Park on a windy spring day in 2020 when something unthinkable happened: A metal gate whipped around,. 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. SALT LAKE CITY The United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. The family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. 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. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. One of his regrets is not saying, "I love you," one more time. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigos death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan womens rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. Having received numerous international accolades and awards, Nakajjigo came to the United States to further her education, where she met Michaud a video streaming technology solution architect via a dating app. She rose from poverty to become the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda focused on empowering women on issues such as education and healthcare, and had successfully raised funds to build health care facilities in her hometown. Her mother flew to Utah from Uganda to attend the trial this week. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. There is a lot of small things I miss.. Nakajjigo was killed instantly. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the Salt Lake Tribune. 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 human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. 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. 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. She was subsequently named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM The suit was filed last. 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. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good," the claim continues. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. It feels lonely, and thats hard. She was also awarded a full scholarship from the king of Buganda. 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 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. Matthew McConaugheys wife was among the passengers on board a Lufthansa flight struck by severe turbulence and has described the chaos. 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, 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. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. On Monday, a federal judge ruled Ludovic Michaud, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo, will receive $9.5 million, while Nakajjigo's mother and father were awarded $700,000 and $350,000, respectively, per the Salt Lake Tribune. They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang said. But on Friday, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson tried to give Michaud some peace of mind. They stipulate, however, that the plaintiffs should be awarded $22,508 for Nakajjigo's funeral expenses and $5,000 for Michaud's therapy expenses. They wed in a courthouse ceremony in March 2020, three months before her death, and had plans to have a big ceremony in Uganda when it was safe to travel again. The familys lawyer Deborah Chang said the gate struck the car so suddenly and was so well blended into the surrounding landscape the honeymooning couple had no chance of avoiding it. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:49 PM MST. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement . 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. The smaller projection takes into account only the averages of a statistical black woman, she said; while the higher projections factor in that Nakajjigo was a real, extraordinary person. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. 72 Join Insider . Additionally, Berndt said the plaintiffs can only speculate on what Nakajjigo might have done had she lived, and the court can't ignore that "in favor of dreams and potential.". Instead, the Utah park became the site of a horrific accident that killed her. When she was 17, she donated her university tuition money to start a private, nonprofit community health center that she named the Princess Diana Health Centre. This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. 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. IE 11 is not supported. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Nakajjigo was not sure where she wanted to work whether it was in the U.S., back in Uganda or elsewhere but Michaud was willing to follow her wherever she could continue to make the most impact. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix tout moment en cliquant sur le lien Tableau de bord sur la vie prive prsent sur nos sites et dans nos applications. Courtesy of. Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's husband and parents initially filed a $270 million claim against the National Park Service in 2021 over her death National parks begin to reopen across the country. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. 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 United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent .
