(Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. Family of Woman Decapitated by Swinging Gate at State Park Awarded $10. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . Outside's long reads email newsletter features our strongest writing, most ambitious reporting, and award-winning storytelling about the outdoors. 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. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. All this building towards the $140million in damages. Her husband, Michaud, is seeking $240 million in damages from the National Park Service, while Nakajjigo's family is seeking $30 million. Courtesy of. 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. 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. 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. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:49 PM MST. 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. The wind whipped a metal gate round which sliced through the passenger door of the car and decapitated Esther. 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. 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. There is a lot of small things I miss.. minutes. 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. Michaud, Nakajjigo's husband, spoke about the intense trauma he's endured since his wife's death, including sleeplessness, nightmares and suicidal ideation. Chang expects to file the lawsuit in about six months. Ludovic Michaud, the husband of late human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, has filed a $270 million wrongful death administrative claim against the National Park Service, according to a report by NBC News, following a June accident at Arches National Park near Moab. It's really a full-time job," he said. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, Michaud said. Attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigos parents asked for $140 million in damages, while the government said an appropriate award would be roughly $3.5 million. The suit was filed last. 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. The end of that trial came Monday, but a verdict is still pending. ", 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. 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. Ms Nakajjigo worked to improve education and rights for women and teenage girls in her home country of Uganda and advocated to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy. "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 ongoing trial will largely focus on determining the damages that may go to her family and Michaud. The gate narrowly avoided Michaud, who was left covered head to toe in his wife's blood. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death He and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, who had moved to Colorado from Uganda, went to Utah as a welcome break from being quarantined. None. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together.. 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. 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. She was also awarded a full scholarship from the king of Buganda. I found her really interesting. McGinn argued that the smaller projections were based on categories of evaluation not allowed for under Utah law. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Newlywed woman decapitated by car park entrance gate blown open in high 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. 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. Family of newlywed woman 'DECAPITATED by metal gate' at Utah national 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. "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. 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. Woman decapitated by metal gate in front of her horrified husband in FOX 13 Investigates: Family sues over death of woman killed in Arches 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. Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. What happened during the 2023 Utah Legislature. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death 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. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. Ugandan newlywed Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was visiting Arches National Park in Utah in June 2020 when she was struck and killed by a metal pole attached to a traffic control gate. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Posted at 10:15 PM, Nov 12, 2020 Donate to the newsroom now. Here's what lawmakers have directed schools to do, Can't take statins? 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. Trial begins Ugandan woman's death in Arches National Park | 9news.com / CBS Colorado. At age 17, Nakajjigo. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. 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.". 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. US attorneys have said this claim was too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. She was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. 45 Join Insider . Testimony ends in trial of Ugandan woman decapitated in Arches National Denver man files suit after wife's death at National Park - KMGH It impaled their car and decapitated Nakajjigo. 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 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 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. An activist's dreams 'were about to come true.' Then, a horrific The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. IE 11 is not supported. 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. 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. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. The claim alleged that had park employees used an $8 padlock to secure the gate from moving in the breeze, it could have avoided the victim being "needlessly decapitated.". I couldnt work properly for a couple of months. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. $140M trial begins over death of Ugandan woman killed in Utah park Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. First published on November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM. 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 . I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. 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.. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. 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. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. (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. What if he hadn't suggested the trip to Arches? Denver newlyweds' trip to Arches National Park ends with wife's Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. 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. Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. 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. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. 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. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Angeles Times 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. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. Family of Woman Killed at Arches National Park Awarded $10.5M Later, his chin trembled as Nelson delivered the government's apology. Family sues after newlywed is killed by gate at Arches park 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. 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. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Family of Ugandan activist who was decapitated at UT national park gets 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Trial opens in death of woman killed by metal gate in Utah | wltx.com 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. You wouldnt able to detect it or see it, she told Fox 13. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. 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.. Esther Nakajjigo beheaded by gate at Utah's Arches National Park | news 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. A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. Nakajjigo also created a reality television show in Uganda focused on helping teenage mothers stay in school and learn life skills. 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.. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigos family, on Monday asked the family to leave when he described the death in gruesome detail. 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. Family of activist decapitated by swinging gate at Utah park is awarded Twist after newlywed decapitated by gate at national park - Yahoo! Nakajjigo married Denver man Ludovic Michaud in March 2020. At age 17, Nakajjigo was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women, according to the claim. In pink tops and white pants, women celebrate free period products becoming available in Utahs state buildings, Proposal to boost Utah bar licenses gets smaller with another round of cuts by lawmakers, Moab, Park City cry foul as Utah lawmakers target rules for vacation homes. The large monetary damages being sought on behalf of Michaud and Nakajjigos parents are a reflection of the suffering they have gone through plus the loss of Nakajjigos future income and fundraising abilities, Chang said. 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. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. 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. 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. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. 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. Denver7's Lance Hernandez reports. 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. According to Deborah Chang, the Los Angeles-based trial attorney representing Michaud, there was nothing he could have done to swerve out of the way of the gate that killed his wife and narrowly missed him. Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. SALT . The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a womens rights champion in Uganda. "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. 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. Something went wrong, please try again later. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death FILE Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Denver woman's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death "This act of selflessness went viral throughout Uganda, and she was featured in numerous magazines and news publications. What if they had gone on a different day, or left at a different time? 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 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. Esther Nakajjigo died on June 13 after a metal gate swung into a car she and her husband were in and sliced het head off Credit: Handout. 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. $270M Claim Filed Against National Park Service After Woman's Death Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. Woman's decapitation at Arches National Park leads to $270M wrongful Nakajigos family and Michaud are suing the U.S. government for negligence as well as negligent infliction of emotional distress on the part of Michaud, who had to witness the grisly scene. The wind whipped a metal. But now, Michaud said, he returns to an apartment that doesn't feel like a home. 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. Its known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. IE 11 is not supported. The ruling was. 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.. Nakajjigo was. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. 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. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. Nakajjigo created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. 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. 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.. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo told NBC News in an exclusive interview. They had wanted three children. Family of Ugandan philanthropist decapitated by traffic gate in Arches The. 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. 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. Esther Nakajjigo was born in poverty in Kampala, Uganda, and rose to become a celebrated human rights activist through her work focusing on preventing teen pregnancy.