During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. 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. 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. 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. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. They had wanted three children. 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. One series reportedly had a weekly audience of 6.3 million viewers. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. The last thing she said to him was, "Babe, I had the best time of my life." Later, his chin trembled as Nelson delivered the government's apology. / CBS Colorado. 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. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. You wouldnt able to detect it or see it, she told Fox 13. 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. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing 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 At age 17, Nakajjigo was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women, according to the claim. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the Salt Lake Tribune. US attorneys have said this claim was too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. Its still hard to concentrate, but I try to.. 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. 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. 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,. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Esther Nakajjigo was a prominent Ugandan human rights activist who was killed in Utah's Arches National Park in 2020. 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.. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. Credit: AP FILE - Delicate. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. 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. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. 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. 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. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, pose at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. Ms Nakajjigos husband said his wifes death was the worst thing I hope I will ever see. Ludovic Michaud and his new wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were driving around Arches National Park on a windy spring day in 2020 when a metal gate whipped around, sliced through the passenger door of. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. 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. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement . Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement, [] 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Continuing her work brings him hope; he's already started a nonprofit in her name, the Esther Nakajjigo Foundation. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. She later created a pair of reality television shows designed to empower women. Mr Michaud and Ms Nakajjigos family have filed a lawsuit in a US court accusing the National Park Service of negligence, Fox 13 reports. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 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 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). She was subsequently named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. In the opening statements of the wrongful death lawsuit, attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigos family recounted the moment Michaud realised his wife had been killed. Nakajjigo 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. 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 wind whipped a metal gate round which sliced through the passenger door of the car and decapitated Esther. 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.. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Donate to the newsroom now. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. 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. 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 . The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax 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. Nakajjigo was killed instantly. 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. Matthew McConaugheys wife was among the passengers on board a Lufthansa flight struck by severe turbulence and has described the chaos. 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. John Ssenkindu, Esther's brother, told journalists that her sister was hit by a metallic gate of the Arches National Park in the US . Judge Bruce Jenkins said he wants to "examine with care" all the information presented during the weeklong trial. The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife was killed on June 13, 2020, in 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. Nakajjigo was decapitated after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her . Theres a newsletter that went out to all the parks and the National Park Service that warned of this decades ago. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The end of that trial came Monday, but a verdict is still pending. 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. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a . The family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her. The United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM (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. 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. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her . Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud). 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. 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. 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 . "I'm doing whatever I can to get better. But now, Michaud said, he returns to an apartment that doesn't feel like a home. First published on November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM. Here's what lawmakers have directed schools to do, Can't take statins? In his judgement, Jenkins said the government had provided a more reasonable projection of Nakajjigos earnings potential. It feels lonely, and thats hard. 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. Instead, Michaud met his wife's family -- who traveled to the States from Uganda -- for the first time just before the trial started. 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. You wouldnt able to detect it or see it.. The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. 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. 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 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. "This act of selflessness went viral throughout Uganda, and she was featured in numerous magazines and news publications. 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. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. 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. By his verdict, Judge Bruce Jenkins has shown the world how the American justice system works to hold its own government accountable and greatly values all lives, including that of Esther Nakajjigo, a remarkable young woman from Uganda, Randi McGinn, the familys attorney said in a statement. 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. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Angeles Times The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:49 PM MST. "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. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, Michaud said. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. 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. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. The ongoing trial will largely focus on determining the damages that may go to her family and Michaud. The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife. 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. 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 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. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. The ruling was. 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. It impaled their car and decapitated Nakajjigo. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together.. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. 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. In his ten-page verdict, U.S. District Court Judge Bruce Jenkins said the government admitted fault and apologized for Nakajjigos death. 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. 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. "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. 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. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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 . Instead, "the end of the lance-like gate pierced the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter." 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. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. 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. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. 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. IE 11 is not supported. 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.". 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. I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. Nothing we can say makes up for your loss. Nakajjigo married Denver man Ludovic Michaud in March 2020. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigos death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan womens rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. "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 gate reportedly smashed through the side of the car and struck Nakajjigo . There is a lot of small things I miss.. Michaud and his in-laws are asking a federal judge for $140 million. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. . Seven people have been rushed to hospital after severe turbulence on a flight led to an emergency landing. 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. 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. He no longer has a TV in his apartment because the sight of any blood is triggering, he said. 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. 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. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. 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 . 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. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . The gruesome nature of Nakajjigo's death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan women's rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. Michaud was the last plaintiff witness in the civil trial over the June 13, 2020, death of his wife, Esther Nakajjigo. Michaud said he and Nakajjigo were two weeks shy of closing on a condo when the accident occurred, with hopes of owning a house down the road. Michaud was not injured in the accident, but he was covered head-to-toe in his wifes blood. 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 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. "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. 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. 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.. 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. ", 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 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. She was particularly passionate about reducing teenage pregnancy and created two reality television shows that empowered women. He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with flashbacks. She met Michaud on Tinder in 2019, when she was attending a leadership program in Boulder, Colorado. Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a womens rights champion in Uganda. 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.
