Mr Michaud and Ms Nakajjigos family have filed a lawsuit in a US court accusing the National Park Service of negligence, Fox 13 reports. FILE Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . 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 ongoing trial will largely focus on determining the damages that may go to her family and Michaud. Sign up today. 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. There is a lot of small things I miss.. But now, Michaud said, he returns to an apartment that doesn't feel like a home. It's really a full-time job," he said. Family sues after newlywed is killed by gate at Arches park Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Chang expects to file the lawsuit in about six months. Trial begins for woman decapitated at Arches National Park Esther Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife. The family are arguing that the US Park Service was negligent and did not properly maintain the gates at the entrances and exits to the parks, leading to their loved one's death. 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. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. 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. 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. Recreation areas had recently opened after pandemic-era closures and . 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. $140M trial begins over death of Ugandan woman killed in Utah park Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. Trial begins over death of Ugandan woman killed in Utah park The lawsuit filed by Ludovic Michaud, of Denver, claims his wife Esther Nakajjigo was decapitated while in the passenger seat of a car exiting Arches National Park. 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. 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.. 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. Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's husband and parents initially filed a $270 million claim against the National Park Service in 2021 over her death dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. Her mother flew to Utah from Uganda to attend the trial this week. Esther Nakajjigo beheaded by gate at Utah's Arches National Park | news 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. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. Family of newlywed woman 'DECAPITATED by metal gate' at Utah national sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. 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 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 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 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.. 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. She met Michaud on Tinder in 2019, when she was attending a leadership program in Boulder, Colorado. 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 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. He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with flashbacks. Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News who focuses on health and mental health, particularly issues that affect women and children. 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. 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 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. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, pose at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. / CBS Colorado. 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. Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M - CBS News One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. The United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. 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. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. The suit was filed last. "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. 'Shadow pandemic': Women, girls bear unequal share of Covid-19 burden, U.N. official warns, National parks begin to reopen across the country. The gate narrowly avoided Michaud, who was left covered head to toe in his wife's blood. Arches accidental beheading trial ends, but verdict is still pending Her dreams were just about to come true, Chang said. Nakajjigo was killed instantly. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. Family of Ugandan Awarded $10.5M for Utah Park Death One of his regrets is not saying, "I love you," one more time. 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. 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. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Nakajjigo's family sued the government for the largest federal award ever asked for in both state and national history, according to plaintiffs' attorney Randi McGinn, seeking $140 million in damages. Later, his chin trembled as Nelson delivered the government's apology. 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. Nakajjigo donated her own college fund to start a hospital, Berndt said; she raised money for charities and never took a salary. 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. Instead, Michaud met his wife's family -- who traveled to the States from Uganda -- for the first time just before the trial started. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. 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. Nakajjigo was. Credit: AP FILE - Delicate. The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife was killed on June 13, 2020, in Arches National Park. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her . Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death A federal judge ruled Monday that the U.S. will shell out more than $10 million in damages to the family of Esther Nakajjigo after she was killed in an accident at a Utah national park in. Esther Nakajjigo had been visiting Utah's Arches National Park when she was killed by a gate caught in the wind. Twist after newlywed decapitated by gate at national park - Yahoo! 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 and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. Photo: Esther Nakajjigo/Twitter. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. Family of Newlywed and Activist Decapitated at Utah's Arches National (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. 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. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. 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. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate at $10.5 million awarded to family of Denver woman killed at Arches 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 United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a . 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. 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 was not injured in the accident, but he was covered head-to-toe in his wifes blood. The gate had been left unlatched against federal policy for two weeks prior to the tragic accident in June 2020. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death 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. "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, as reported by CBS Denver.. $270 MILLION LAWSUIT Everything reminds Michaud of Nakajjigo. Its still hard to concentrate, but I try to.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her. Arches National Park Being Sued For $270M After Gate Decapitated Guest We hope that, in some way, the conclusion of this trial will help with your moving forward.". Family of woman decapitated in Utah national park by swinging gate to 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. John Ssenkindu, Esther's brother, told journalists that her sister was hit by a metallic gate of the Arches National Park in the US . 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. 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. 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. 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. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigos mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. 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. 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. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. Activist Esther Nakajjigo's family beg Ugandan government to return Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death 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. IE 11 is not supported. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo told NBC News in an exclusive interview. 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. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. 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. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death In his ten-page verdict, U.S. District Court Judge Bruce Jenkins said the government admitted fault and apologized for Nakajjigos death. National parks begin to reopen across the country. 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. 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. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. 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. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . 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. 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. The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. Activist, 25, hailed as 'future Oprah or Princess Diana' is The ruling was. 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. Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a womens rights champion in Uganda. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax 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. An activist's dreams 'were about to come true.' Then, a horrific 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. "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. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. Estimated read time: 5-6 Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. Family of activist decapitated by swinging gate at Utah park is awarded I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. 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. mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. "I'm doing whatever I can to get better. At age 17, Nakajjigo. 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 Nakajjigos husband said his wifes death was the worst thing I hope I will ever see. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement . 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. Her husband, Michaud, is seeking $240 million in damages from the National Park Service, while Nakajjigo's family is seeking $30 million. 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.
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