Denver man files suit after wife's death at National Park - KMGH 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. The wind whipped a metal. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Nakajjigo was. 72 Join Insider . 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. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. 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. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. The gate narrowly avoided Michaud, who was left covered head to toe in his wife's blood. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. 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. Trial opens in death of woman killed by metal gate in Utah | wltx.com This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate at The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife. Esther Nakajjigo was a prominent Ugandan human rights activist who was killed in Utah's Arches National Park in 2020. I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. The metal gate at Arches National Park, normally secured with a lock, was left untethered. We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM "Because (Nakajjigo) is off the charts, you can't use the charts to evaluate her," McGinn said. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Estimated read time: 5-6 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. 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. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. In his ten-page verdict, U.S. District Court Judge Bruce Jenkins said the government admitted fault and apologized for Nakajjigos death. 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 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. 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. 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. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . Lindsay Whitehurst/AP He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didnt have a Bachelors degree. "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. Fox13 reports the metal. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. Esther Nakajjigo lost her life when she was decapitated at an entrance to Arches National Park in Utah back in June. 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 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. Continuing her work brings him hope; he's already started a nonprofit in her name, the Esther Nakajjigo Foundation. Her mother flew to Utah from Uganda to attend the trial this week. Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. 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. He was "instantly covered with blood," the complaint says. What if they had gone on a different day, or left at a different time? Nakajjigo was decapitated after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her . They stipulate, however, that the plaintiffs should be awarded $22,508 for Nakajjigo's funeral expenses and $5,000 for Michaud's therapy expenses. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death 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 . 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 Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death I found her really interesting. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the Salt Lake Tribune. Everything reminds Michaud of Nakajjigo. 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. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. Activist, 25, hailed as 'future Oprah or Princess Diana' is Nakajjigo donated her own college fund to start a hospital, Berndt said; she raised money for charities and never took a salary. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. 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. 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. . 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. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, Michaud said. Family sues after newlywed is killed by gate at Arches park What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. Esther Nakajjigo had been visiting Utah's Arches National Park when she was killed by a gate caught in the wind. 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. 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. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. Woman's decapitation at Arches National Park leads to $270M wrongful Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, pose at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. Nakajjigo was not sure where she wanted to work whether it was in the U.S., back in Uganda or elsewhere but Michaud was willing to follow her wherever she could continue to make the most impact. 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. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the. Family of Woman Killed at Arches National Park Awarded $10.5M 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. Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. (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. She was particularly passionate about reducing teenage pregnancy and created two reality television shows that empowered women. 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. New pill cuts cholesterol, heart attacks, Suspect in Dylan Rounds disappearance charged with murder. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. 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. SALT . Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement, [] She later created a pair of reality television shows designed to empower women. They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang said. 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. $270M Claim Filed Against National Park Service After Woman's Death 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. 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 . 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. 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. Family of Woman Decapitated by Swinging Gate at State Park Awarded $10. 45 Join Insider . 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. "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 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. 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. 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 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.". Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. Family awarded $10.5M in Utah park death | Las Vegas Review-Journal 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. In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. 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.
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