72 Join Insider . 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. McGinn argued that the smaller projections were based on categories of evaluation not allowed for under Utah law. 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. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he 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. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. 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. 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. Her husband, Michaud, is seeking $240 million in damages from the National Park Service, while Nakajjigo's family is seeking $30 million. We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. 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.. 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. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The end of that trial came Monday, but a verdict is still pending. 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. 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. Nothing we can say makes up for your loss. 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. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. 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.". He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with flashbacks. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. While much less than they were initially seeking, the family was clearly pleased with the results -- with attorney Zoe Littlepage calling the amount "the largest verdict from a federal judge in Utah history.". All rights reserved. The suit was filed last. It's really a full-time job," he said. Nakajjigo was. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. The wind whipped a metal. Everything reminds Michaud of Nakajjigo. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The ruling was. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. The lawsuit was filed about a year after Nakajjigo was killed in June 2020, when wind apparently caused the unsecured, metal gate on the parks main road to swing around and strike her and her husbands car, decapitating her. 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, who was 25, lived with her. 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. Recreation areas had recently opened after pandemic-era closures and . He and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, who had moved to Colorado from Uganda, went to Utah as a welcome break from being quarantined. One series reportedly had a weekly audience of 6.3 million viewers. 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. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. 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. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. 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. 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.. 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. 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. 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. 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 Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! Nakajjigo also created a reality television show in Uganda focused on helping teenage mothers stay in school and learn life skills. The claim she served is legally required before a lawsuit can be filed in court. She was subsequently named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. "You bear no responsibility. National parks begin to reopen across the country. 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. Here's what lawmakers have directed schools to do, Can't take statins? Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. 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. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. 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. Courtesy Ludovic Michaud Nakajjigo. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. What if he hadn't suggested the trip to Arches? All times AEDT (GMT +11). The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Instead, Michaud met his wife's family -- who traveled to the States from Uganda -- for the first time just before the trial started. "On behalf of the United States, we again extend our condolences to Ms. Nakajjigos friends, family and beloved community. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The last thing she said to him was, "Babe, I had the best time of my life." 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. 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. Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News who focuses on health and mental health, particularly issues that affect women and children. 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 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. In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. 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. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. "Because (Nakajjigo) is off the charts, you can't use the charts to evaluate her," McGinn said. Esther Nakajjigo was a prominent Ugandan human rights activist who was killed in Utah's Arches National Park in 2020. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. In his ten-page verdict, U.S. District Court Judge Bruce Jenkins said the government admitted fault and apologized for Nakajjigos death. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. 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 newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . 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. 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. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. The gate had been left unlatched against federal policy for two weeks prior to the tragic accident in June 2020. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. What if he hadn't suggested the trip. 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 trial began in December and in court, per the AP, family attorney Randi McGinn reportedly argued Nakajjigo could have eventually brought in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, annually had she survived. She was also awarded a full scholarship from the king of Buganda. The wind whipped a metal gate round which sliced through the passenger door of the car and decapitated Esther. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 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. None. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. 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 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. 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. 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. Nakajjigo donated her own college fund to start a hospital, Berndt said; she raised money for charities and never took a salary. 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. 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. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo told NBC News in an exclusive interview. 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. 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. Continuing her work brings him hope; he's already started a nonprofit in her name, the Esther Nakajjigo Foundation. First published on November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM.