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 a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Esther Nakajjigo lost her life when she was decapitated at an entrance to Arches National Park in Utah back in June. 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. 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. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . 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, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. IE 11 is not supported. 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 "On behalf of the United States, we again extend our condolences to Ms. Nakajjigos friends, family and beloved community. 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. 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. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. "I'm doing whatever I can to get better. US attorneys have said this claim was too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, Michaud said. McGinn argued that the smaller projections were based on categories of evaluation not allowed for under Utah law. Nakajjigo was. They had wanted three children. 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 . Credit: AP FILE - Delicate. She was always willing to help, he said. 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. 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. But on Friday, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson tried to give Michaud some peace of mind. 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. Instead of planning their future together, Michaud is now processing the trauma and grief of Nakajjigos gruesome death and hoping the lawsuit his attorney plans to file will save other families from experiencing what he did. 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. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM Burglar freezes at top of ladder after being caught stealing from attic during raid, 'I DIDN'T BREAK THE LAW' Matt Hancock tells lawyers he wants immunity on care home deaths during Covid pandemic, Interactive map shows exactly where snow could fall in UK as mercury nosedives to -7C, Doctor tells Harry he believes Prince has Attention Deficit Disorder in live Q&A, Kate Garraway shares Derek's final words as he believed he was about to die, Spencer Matthews 'furious' after Disney delays Everest doc as it shows dead bodies, Prince Harry insists he is 'NOT victim' and has never looked for sympathy in livestream Q&A with controversial 'toxic trauma' doctor, Cyclist pavement killer risks losing home as neighbours break silence, DIY SOS star Nick Knowles fires back as he's FAT SHAMED by 83 year old mum, Saturday Night Takeaway fans complain minutes into show at Ant and Dec's 'suspicious' habit, Cher, 76, shares candid update on relationship with 37-year-old boyfriend, Moment sonic boom 'like a gas explosion' shakes homes as RAF Typhoon aircraft scrambled, Inside Alison King's 50th birthday party as Corrie co-stars glam up to celebrate, Subscribe to Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror newspapers. afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss en fonction de vos profils de centres dintrt; mesurer lefficacit des publicits et contenus personnaliss; et. National parks begin to reopen across the country. He smiled at some points as he shared photos and memories of happier times affectionate birthday cards, silly nicknames, meals cooked together, the rose petals Nakajjigo arranged into the shape of a heart with an "I" and a "U" on either side. 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. First published on November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM. 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. When he inhaled the copper-tinged smell of blood, turned to figure out what it was and saw his beheaded wife. When she was 17, she donated her university tuition money to start a private, nonprofit community health center that she named the Princess Diana Health Centre. 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 United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. Get Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! As always you can unsubscribe at any time. She was particularly passionate about reducing teenage pregnancy and created two reality television shows that empowered women. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. She later created a pair of reality television shows designed to empower women. "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. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. 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. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. 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. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. Judge Bruce Jenkins said he wants to "examine with care" all the information presented during the weeklong trial. The wind whipped a metal. 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. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. Instead, the Utah park became the site of a horrific accident that killed her. Matthew McConaugheys wife was among the passengers on board a Lufthansa flight struck by severe turbulence and has described the chaos. Ms Nakajjigos husband said his wifes death was the worst thing I hope I will ever see. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. 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, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. 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. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement, [] Her husband, Michaud, is seeking $240 million in damages from the National Park Service, while Nakajjigo's family is seeking $30 million. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. . 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. 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. 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. 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,. All times AEDT (GMT +11). 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. "Because (Nakajjigo) is off the charts, you can't use the charts to evaluate her," McGinn said. 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. The family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her. 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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 same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. He was "instantly covered with blood," the complaint says. 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 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. 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. Nothing we can say makes up for your loss. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigos mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. 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. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. Lindsay Whitehurst/AP The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . "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. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. 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. 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. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. 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. In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. 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. 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. Here's what lawmakers have directed schools to do, Can't take statins? 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. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:49 PM MST. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement . 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. One series reportedly had a weekly audience of 6.3 million viewers. 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. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. 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. I found her really interesting. He no longer has a TV in his apartment because the sight of any blood is triggering, he said. She was subsequently named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. She met Michaud on Tinder in 2019, when she was attending a leadership program in Boulder, Colorado. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud). The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax 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. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. Instead, Michaud met his wife's family -- who traveled to the States from Uganda -- for the first time just before the trial started. / CBS Colorado. 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. 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. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. 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. Sign up today. "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 Nakajjigo also created a reality television show in Uganda focused on helping teenage mothers stay in school and learn life skills. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. The. Courtesy Ludovic Michaud Nakajjigo. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the. 45 Join Insider . 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.. Its still hard to concentrate, but I try to.. 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 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 metal gate at Arches National Park, normally secured with a lock, was left untethered. 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. Everything reminds Michaud of Nakajjigo. Esther Nakajjigo had been visiting Utah's Arches National Park when she was killed by a gate caught in the wind. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. 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. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. Something went wrong, please try again later. I was a couple of inches from dying, but I didnt, and right now I have a mission: Its to make sure what shes done continues.. The 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 gate had been left unlatched against federal policy for two weeks prior to the tragic accident in June 2020. "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. 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.