One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. The gate narrowly avoided Michaud, who was left covered head to toe in his wife's blood. Nakajjigo was. A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . 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. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. National parks begin to reopen across the country. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. Instead, the Utah park became the site of a horrific accident that killed her. 2023 EHM Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The ongoing trial will largely focus on determining the damages that may go to her family and Michaud. 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. 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. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. Nelson, the governments attorney, has said an appropriate award would be $3.5million (2.9m). 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. "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 gruesome nature of Nakajjigo's death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan women's rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. The 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 . Outside's long reads email newsletter features our strongest writing, most ambitious reporting, and award-winning storytelling about the outdoors. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. The last thing she said to him was, "Babe, I had the best time of my life." 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 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. One of his regrets is not saying, "I love you," one more time. 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 . dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. In his judgement, Jenkins said the government had provided a more reasonable projection of Nakajjigos earnings potential. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. They stipulate, however, that the plaintiffs should be awarded $22,508 for Nakajjigo's funeral expenses and $5,000 for Michaud's therapy expenses. What if he hadn't suggested the trip. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. 45 Join Insider . 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 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. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. 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 same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. 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. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. The United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. What if they had gone on a different day, or left at a different time? 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. Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. Nakajjigo created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. Her mother flew to Utah from Uganda to attend the trial this week. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. Ms Nakajjigos husband said his wifes death was the worst thing I hope I will ever see. Nakajjigo donated her own college fund to start a hospital, Berndt said; she raised money for charities and never took a salary. 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. 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. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement, [] Courtesy Ludovic Michaud Nakajjigo. John Ssenkindu, Esther's brother, told journalists that her sister was hit by a metallic gate of the Arches National Park in the US . For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Trial begins in civil suit filed for accidental beheading death at Arches, National Park Service faces $270M wrongful death claim for death at Arches, 6 people arrested following drive-by shooting in Iron County, Man struck, killed by FrontRunner in Clearfield, Legislative wrap: Under-the-radar bills you may have missed on the last day of the session, Northern Utah man faces 30 felonies in child pornography case, 15-year-old boy dies after being found in crashed car with gunshot wounds, Pennsylvania unseals more court document details in Idaho killings, Provo River diverted as restoration project reaches 'major milestone', 1 killed when business jet encounters severe turbulence, Do not 'push a slower friend down' if you encounter a bear, National Park Service warns, CDC issues advisory after confirmed measles case in Kentucky, Police say man killed by Farmington officers had gun; victim's mom filed suit over other traffic stop, 27% of Utah students are chronically absent. 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. Ms McGinn described Nakajjigo as a prominent womens rights activist who rose from poverty to become the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda focused on empowering women around issues such as education and healthcare. At age 17, Nakajjigo was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women, according to the claim. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. She was always willing to help, he said. 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. All times AEDT (GMT +11). 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. 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. The claim, served Oct. 22, is seeking more than $270 million in damages from the National Park Service. 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. Denver7's Lance Hernandez reports. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's. 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 couldnt work properly for a couple of months. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigo's death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan women's rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. The 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. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. IE 11 is not supported. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. 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. 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. 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.". What happened during the 2023 Utah Legislature. Lindsay Whitehurst/AP 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 . She was also awarded a full scholarship from the king of Buganda. 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. It's really a full-time job," he said. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. 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. 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. 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. The gate had been unsecured for the previous two weeks, despite national park requirements that prohibit gates from swinging, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court. FILE Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. SALT . The familys lawsuit claims when the national parks reopened in April 2020 after being shuttered due to Covid-19, rangers at the national park in Utah didnt secure the gate in place, which in effect turned a metal pipe into a spear that went straight through the side of a car, decapitating and killing Esther Nakajjigo. 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. He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with flashbacks. 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. 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. Recreation areas had recently opened after pandemic-era closures and . The metal gate at Arches National Park, normally secured with a lock, was left untethered. 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. They had a courthouse ceremony in March, with plans to throw a big wedding in Uganda once it was safe to travel again. 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 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. But on Friday, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson tried to give Michaud some peace of mind. ", 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. All rights reserved. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement . During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. The family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her. There is a lot of small things I miss.. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax 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. 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. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. Chang expects to file the lawsuit in about six months. Nakajjigo also created a reality television show in Uganda focused on helping teenage mothers stay in school and learn life skills. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. 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. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, pose at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. 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. 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. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. 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 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). The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife. 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. 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. 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. Get Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! 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. US attorneys have said this claim was too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. None. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic "Ludo" Michaud, 26, were driving to get ice cream during a camping trip June 13 when a metal gate blew closed in strong winds and sliced . 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. 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 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 On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. Courtesy of. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . DENVER (CBS4) - The family of a Denver woman has filed a $270 million wrongful death claim against Arches National Park after she was killed there over the summer. Fox13 reports the metal. 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. minutes. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her . 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 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. (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 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. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:49 PM MST. They had wanted three children. 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. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . Nakajjigos remains were flown back to Uganda in August. He was "instantly covered with blood," the complaint says. Its known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. "Because (Nakajjigo) is off the charts, you can't use the charts to evaluate her," McGinn said. It feels lonely, and thats hard. 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 . This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Angeles Times 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. Attorneys for the government have not disputed that park officials are at fault but instead have disputed how much the family should be awarded. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place..