"Because (Nakajjigo) is off the charts, you can't use the charts to evaluate her," McGinn said. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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 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.. Nakajjigo donated her own college fund to start a hospital, Berndt said; she raised money for charities and never took a salary. I found her really interesting. During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with flashbacks. 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. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo told NBC News in an exclusive interview. According to NBC, the claim was served Oct. 22, and 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 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. 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He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didnt have a Bachelors degree. Her husband, Michaud, is seeking $240 million in damages from the National Park Service, while Nakajjigo's family is seeking $30 million. 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. 72 Join Insider . Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News who focuses on health and mental health, particularly issues that affect women and children. It impaled their car and decapitated Nakajjigo. The. Photo: Esther Nakajjigo/Twitter. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. But now, Michaud said, he returns to an apartment that doesn't feel like a home. New pill cuts cholesterol, heart attacks, Suspect in Dylan Rounds disappearance charged with murder. Her mother flew to Utah from Uganda to attend the trial this week. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. He was "instantly covered with blood," the complaint says. The gate had been left unlatched against federal policy for two weeks prior to the tragic accident in June 2020. The last thing she said to him was, "Babe, I had the best time of my life." dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. Nakajjigo was. 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.. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife was killed on June 13, 2020, in Arches National Park. 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. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigos mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. The ongoing trial will largely focus on determining the damages that may go to her family and Michaud. The lawsuit was filed about a year after Nakajjigo was killed in June 2020, when wind apparently caused the unsecured, metal gate on the parks main road to swing around and strike her and her husbands car, decapitating her. 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. Chang expects to file the lawsuit in about six months. Here's what lawmakers have directed schools to do, Can't take statins? Courtesy of. A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . 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. "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. 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. 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. But on Friday, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson tried to give Michaud some peace of mind. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 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 The family of a womens rights activist who was decapitated in an accident on a trip with her new husband has sued the US government agency responsible for the park where she died. 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 . Sign up today. The end of that trial came Monday, but a verdict is still pending. 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 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 . 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. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. The women's rights activist from Uganda was 25 when, during a camping trip to Arches National Park in June 2020, she was beheaded by a metal gate that blew closed in strong winds and sliced through the side of the car she was riding in. Nakajjigos remains were flown back to Uganda in August. 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. It feels lonely, and thats hard. Picture: Handout The family of a women's rights activist who was decapitated in an accident on a trip with her new husband has sued the US government agency responsible for the park where she died. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. You wouldnt able to detect it or see it.. Continuing her work brings him hope; he's already started a nonprofit in her name, the Esther Nakajjigo Foundation. Berndt said her team in no way believes Nakajjigo was an average person, and that using reliable data to estimate her lost earnings isn't a value judgment of Nakajjigo. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. "I'll respond as soon as I'm able," Jenkins said. 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.. "On behalf of the United States, we again extend our condolences to Ms. Nakajjigos friends, family and beloved community. Michaud was not injured in the accident, but he was covered head-to-toe in his wifes blood. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. Arches National Park is best known for its pristine sandstone arches and its massive red Delicate Arch, which has featured in countless Instagram photos.. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against the US National Parks Service seeking . 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). Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together.. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. According to the claim, Michaud, of Denver, and Nakajjigo, a womens rights proponent from Uganda, were exiting the Arches parking lot on June 13 when a metal gate on the entrance road near the visitors center swung into the couples car, causing Nakajigo to be needlessly decapitated.. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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, Michaud met his wife's family -- who traveled to the States from Uganda -- for the first time just before the trial started. Esther Nakajjigo was decapitated at Arches National Park in Utah after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her car, killing her immediately as her husband sat in the seat next to her. They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang said. 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. 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. What if he hadn't suggested the trip to Arches? The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife. 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 Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. The Associated Press 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. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigos family, on Monday asked the family to leave when he described the death in gruesome detail. 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. 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. Nakajjigo was killed instantly. Get Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. 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. As recreation areas in eastern Utah reopened that summer, Michaud was excited to take his new wife to Arches National Park, and the two drove there in June. 45 Join Insider . in the two-plus years since his wife, Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo, was hit and killed by an unsecured gate while the couple was leaving Arches National Park. None. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a . The gate narrowly avoided Michaud, who was left covered head to toe in his wife's blood. The wind whipped a metal gate round which sliced through the passenger door of the car and decapitated Esther. She later created a pair of reality television shows designed to empower women. 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. 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. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. Outside's long reads email newsletter features our strongest writing, most ambitious reporting, and award-winning storytelling about the outdoors. 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. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. Theres a newsletter that went out to all the parks and the National Park Service that warned of this decades ago. Attorneys for the government have not disputed that park officials are at fault but instead have disputed how much the family should be awarded. 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 . 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 . Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. All rights reserved. The family of a Ugandan young girl child activist, Esther Nakajjigo who died in the United States of America (USA) have asked government to help them repatriate her body, to be accorded a decent burial. 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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. Nakajjigo created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. On June 13, she was needlessly decapitated by a metal gate that swung into the couples car as they were exiting the Arches parking lot on their way to go get ice cream, according to a wrongful death administrative claim exclusively obtained by NBC News. The U.S. government has admitted responsibility for Nakajjigos death and for the emotional distress inflicted upon her husband, an attorney for the plaintiffs said. 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. Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. 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 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. 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. Fox13 reports the metal. All rights reserved. Because neither the U.S. nor Nakajjigos family disputed the facts of the case, the civil suit focused largely on the amount of damages merited. 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. He no longer has a TV in his apartment because the sight of any blood is triggering, he said. Her dreams were just about to come true, Chang said. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. 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. All this building towards the $140million in damages. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. 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.. US attorneys have said this claim was too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. "You bear no responsibility. I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. 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. 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. 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. 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. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. When he inhaled the copper-tinged smell of blood, turned to figure out what it was and saw his beheaded wife. As they were leaving the park on June 13, 2020, heavy winds apparently blew the metal entrance gate into the passenger side of the vehicle, striking and killing Nakajjigo. "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. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. She was named as Ugandas ambassador for women and girls and received an award from the United Nations after she used her university tuition money to start a non-profit community centre that offered free healthcare to girls and women aged 10 to 24. She met Michaud on Tinder in 2019, when she was attending a leadership program in Boulder, Colorado. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. She was particularly passionate about reducing teenage pregnancy and created two reality television shows that empowered women. Nelson, the governments attorney, has said an appropriate award would be $3.5million (2.9m). . 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. 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. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.". FILE Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. The suit was filed last. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. 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. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Angeles Times Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The ruling was. 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. "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. There have been gate accidents across the country, including another one on federal government property in 1980 in which a camper in California was impaled by a U.S. Forest Service road closure gate. In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. They stipulate, however, that the plaintiffs should be awarded $22,508 for Nakajjigo's funeral expenses and $5,000 for Michaud's therapy expenses. 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 and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. 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. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. Matthew McConaugheys wife was among the passengers on board a Lufthansa flight struck by severe turbulence and has described the chaos. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM She was subsequently named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. NBC wrote that Nakajjigo 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, Colo., where she was the recipient of a Luff Peace Fellowship., Michaud, originally of France, was uninjured in the accident, but, according to NBCs report, has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder., Donate to the newsroom now. "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. 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. 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,. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement . The gate reportedly smashed through the side of the car and struck Nakajjigo . It's really a full-time job," he said. Estimated read time: 5-6 Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship.
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