Nichelle Nichols’ family was awarded $13 million in a wrongful death lawsuit tied to her treatment at a medical center in Silver City, New Mexico, in 2022. A jury found the hospital 40% liable, while one doctor was found 60% liable and another had 0% liability
The family of Nichelle Nichols has been awarded $13 million after a jury delivered a verdict in a wrongful death lawsuit tied to her care in 2022.
Nichols’ estate received the $13 million in damages following the lawsuit against Gila Medical Center in Silver City, New Mexico, where Nichols was treated in 2022. The case centered on her death in the hours after she was transferred to an assisted living facility.
Nichols died at 89.
The details presented in court include Nichols’ heart condition. During a visit to the ER, she allegedly did not receive proper treatment and was later transferred to an assisted living facility, where she died hours later.
On liability, the verdict sheet found Gila Regional Medical Center 40% liable in the case. One doctor was found 60% liable, while another was found 0% liable.
The name Nichols still carries a powerful cultural legacy. She was a trailblazer as Lt. Uhura on “Star Trek,” and she was the first Black woman to play a starring role on TV. Nichols also appeared as the beloved character in several “Star Trek” films.
MISRYOUM reached out to Gila Medical Center in Silver City for comment, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
Taken together. the jury’s split liability and the timeline described in the lawsuit put the focus squarely on how care unfolded in the ER in 2022—then how quickly events moved from treatment to transfer. and ultimately to her death hours later. For the family, the verdict is now a final marker in a case built on those critical decisions.
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