ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, UTAH: More than 2 years after a woman was killed in a Utah national park, her husband and her family are suing the US government for $140 million in damages. Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a womens rights champion in Uganda. After requesting that the family leave the courtroom, she recounted the moment Michaud. A spokeswoman said the single vehicle accident happened June 13 on the entrance road of Arches National Park, near the Visitor's Center, and that the entrance was shut down for several hours. Because neither the U.S. nor Nakajjigo's family disputed the facts of the case, the civil suit focused largely on the amount of damages merited. A widow and his wife's family are seeking $140 million in damages from the U.S. government more than two years after a woman was killed in a Utah national park. 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. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. Most Facebook users can now claim settlement money. Im still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning., What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine, said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. Michaud and Nakajjigo had been married for just under three months when they decided to go see the Arches. He said he didn't deny Nakajjigo was an extraordinary person, but argued it was difficult to speculate what kind of work she would have gone on to do. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. She served as an ambassador for women and girls in her native Uganda, and created a reality TV show to combat early pregnancy and forced marriage. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. She rose from poverty to become the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda focused on empowering women on issues such as education and healthcare, and had successfully raised funds to build health care facilities in her hometown. Attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigos parents asked for $140 million in damages, while the government said an appropriate award would be roughly $3.5 million. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. 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 complaint also describes how Michaud had to witness the grisly scene. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. 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. In June, the couple needed a break from quarantine, so they drove to Utah. The couple hiked to Delicate Arch and ate lunch in the Windows area before starting their drive out of the park. There is a lot of small things I miss.. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Shes done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives, she said. Attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigo's parents asked for $140 million in damages, while the government said an appropriate award would be roughly $3.5 million. Their economic expert will testify that her death represents a. The trial gave me and Essies family members an opportunity to tell Essies beautiful story, and it was so important to me to have the chance to stand up and speak for this amazing woman.. The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. What it means to be a woman in the world's largest refugee settlement..it means you don't own anything not even your body. 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. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. 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, the Associated Press reported. I found her really interesting. 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. Denver7's Lance Hernandez reports. Nakajjigos family and friends in Uganda started a petition to the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Health in the country to make an exception for the young activist, the newspaper continued. 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. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. In his judgement, Jenkins said the government had provided a more reasonable projection of Nakajjigo's earnings potential. In his judgement, Jenkins said the government had provided a more reasonable projection of Nakajjigos earnings potential. What happens to First Republic Bank's stock and deposits now? Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Members get 15+ publications right in your pocket. 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 family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her. Theres a newsletter that went out to all the parks and the National Park Service that warned of this decades ago. . November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM Posted at 10:15 PM, Nov 12, 2020 Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? A video tribute to his wife showed her talking about her name, in an earlier recording. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. According to NBC News, Nakajjigo was named as Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. @ArielleHarrison https://t.co/YoCT50YObz. The wind whipped a metal. Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. The suit was filed last week in federal court in Denver by the widower and parents of Nakajjigo. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together.. She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart, said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigos husband. 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. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah . Here's how. Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. In his ten-page verdict, U.S. District Court Judge Bruce Jenkins said the government admitted fault and apologized for Nakajjigos death. "This act of selflessness went viral throughout Uganda, and she was featured in numerous magazines and news publications. / CBS/AP. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. "For how majestic these parks are, it's kind of shocking how rudimentary these gates are," she said. 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.. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Utah's Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. She was always willing to help, 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. Nakajjigo was a celebrated human rights activist in Uganda, her home country, Moab Sun News continued. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the Salt Lake Tribune. The trial gave me and Essies family members an opportunity to tell Essies beautiful story, and it was so important to me to have the chance to stand up and speak for this amazing woman.. IE 11 is not supported. She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. Download the app. 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. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. It feels lonely, and thats hard. Nakajjigo, who was 25 at the time, was "needlessly decapitated," according to a wrongful death administrative claim obtained by NBC News. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud) Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. 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. She described Nakajjigo as a prominent women's rights activist who rose from poverty to become the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda focused on empowering women on issues such as education and healthcare. Esther was born April 16, 1995. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. Esther Nakajjigo. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Of the accidents aftermath, Michaud told FOX 13: I saw the worst thing I hope I will ever see.. The Uganda native met Michaud in June 2019 through a dating app in Aurora, Colorado, according to NBC News. The family Essie Nakajjigo, an activist who died in Arches National Park in 2020, is preparing to head to trial for a wrongful death lawsuit. In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. Her husband was not harmed, the station added. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. First published on November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM. Nakajjigos family will have to show her death was caused by more than negligence, said James C. Kozlowski, an associate professor of recreation management at George Mason University who studies legal issues in the outdoor industry. Denver7's Lance Hernandez reports. "It could have happened to the people in front of us, or behind us," he said. "I don't want anyone or any other family to go through what we've been through," Michaud told CBS affiliate KUTV. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhampdenmortuary.com for the Nakajjigo family. 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. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. According to Moab Sun News, the Ugandan government on April 19 forbade the repatriation of the remains of Ugandans who pass away abroad over fears of the coronavirus. It's known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. McGinn said if her life hadn't been cut short that Nakajjigo's trajectory suggested she would have gone on to become a nonprofit CEO who could eventually have netted an annual income in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even millions. FOX 13 reported earlier this year how Nakajjigo died June 13, 2020. Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. Opening statements previewed how the trial will hinge less on varying accounts of the accident and instead focus on Nakajiigo's biography and earning potential, which is used to calculate a portion of the damages. I couldnt work properly for a couple of months. The family is hoping to use money from the case to continue Essies projects. She founded the Princess Diana Health Center, Moab Sun News continued. 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 couple's car, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat feet away in the driver's seat. View of the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. She said there was nothing that visually set them apart. Nakajjigo was involved in countless philanthropic endeavors. 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. It impaled their car and decapitated Nakajjigo. Esther Nakajjigo Of Denver Decapitated By Gate :Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park [VIDEO] Trying To Figure Out How To Move Forward': Widower Of Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate At Arches National Park Struggles After Trauma This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. 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. #EDD #sheiswe pic.twitter.com/VUD1jd7U7H, Esther Nakajjigo (@nakajjigo) June 7, 2018. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud). It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, its going to happen again, he said. 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, sliced through the passenger door of his car and decapitated his new 25-year-old wife, Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo. Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. "I've always wanted to meet him, though not in this way," he said. The pole gate pierced the passenger compartment of the couple's rental car, a Chevy Malibu, and decapitated Esther. 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. She was best known for a reality show in Uganda that reached millions of viewers. The United States will pay family members of Esther Nakajjigo, a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled .
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