In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. McGinn, representing Nakajjigos family, likened her to a nonprofit CEO for an American charity and said she would have likely made millions throughout her 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 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. 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. Michaud, Nakajjigo's husband, spoke about the intense trauma he's endured since his wife's death, including sleeplessness, nightmares and suicidal ideation. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. 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. 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. He and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, who had moved to Colorado from Uganda, went to Utah as a welcome break from being quarantined. Nakajjigo worked on fundraising to open a hospital in an underserved part of Kampala, Ugandas capital, became a philanthropic celebrity and immigrated to the United States for a fellowship at the Boulder, Colorado-based Watson Institute for emerging leaders. 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. Her dreams were just about to come true, Chang said. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. 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. Nelson, the governments attorney, has said an appropriate award would be $3.5million (2.9m). minutes. Mr Michaud and Ms Nakajjigos family have filed a lawsuit in a US court accusing the National Park Service of negligence, Fox 13 reports. 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. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's husband and parents initially filed a $270 million claim against the National Park Service in 2021 over her death You wouldnt able to detect it or see it.. 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. She was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. 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. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigos death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan womens rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. Sign up today. The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. 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. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement, [] 'Shadow pandemic': Women, girls bear unequal share of Covid-19 burden, U.N. official warns, National parks begin to reopen across the country. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:49 PM MST. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. The claim she served is legally required before a lawsuit can be filed in court. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. It feels lonely, and thats hard. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. 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. 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. ", 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 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. 45 Join Insider . 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. John Ssenkindu, Esther's brother, told journalists that her sister was hit by a metallic gate of the Arches National Park in the US . Having received numerous international accolades and awards, Nakajjigo came to the United States to further her education, where she met Michaud a video streaming technology solution architect via a dating app. I found her really interesting. 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. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 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Recreation areas had recently opened after pandemic-era closures and . 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 . The family had initially sought a total of $270 million in damages, before lowering the amount to $140 -- while the government only wanted to pay $3.5 million. 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. Instead, the Utah park became the site of a horrific accident that killed her. This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. All rights reserved. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax At age 17, Nakajjigo was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women, according to the claim. Human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020, when a traffic control gate blew into her rental car at Arches National Park in the US state of Utah. The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. They had a courthouse ceremony in March, with plans to throw a big wedding in Uganda once it was safe to travel again. She was also awarded a full scholarship from the king of Buganda. 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. What happened during the 2023 Utah Legislature. Nakajjigo donated her own college fund to start a hospital, Berndt said; she raised money for charities and never took a salary. Here's what lawmakers have directed schools to do, Can't take statins? (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. But U.S. Attorney Amanda Berndt said while there's no question that the plaintiffs are entitled to a reward, a proper calculation of Nakajjigo's lost earnings must include the possibility that she might have left the workforce at some point for a variety of reasons. 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. 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. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the. 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. At age 17, she used her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center, which provided free reproductive health services to young women and girls. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . Nakajjigo was killed instantly. Just as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S., Michaud, a video streaming technology solution architect who is originally from France, and Nakajjigo decided they wanted to marry. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. / 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. 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.. 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. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigos mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. Photo: Esther Nakajjigo/Twitter. One series reportedly had a weekly audience of 6.3 million viewers. 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. US attorneys have said this claim was too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. 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. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good," the claim continues. 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. 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. 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 United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together.. Seven people have been rushed to hospital after severe turbulence on a flight led to an emergency landing. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. At age 17, she used her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center, which provided free reproductive health services to young women and girls. The 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 their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. 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. "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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. 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.
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