Jury awards millions to Star Trek star’s family in wrongful death lawsuit

A Grant County jury has awarded $13 million to the family of Nichelle Nichols, the actor best known for playing Lt. Uhura on Star Trek, in a wrongful death case tied to her treatment at Gila Medical Center in Silver City, New Mexico. Nichols died in 2022, and her family argued that the hospital’s care contributed to her death.

Nichols was a landmark figure in television history, becoming the first Black woman to play a lead role on TV. Her portrayal of Uhura on Star Trek made her an icon and a trailblazer. Her family’s attorney said Martin Luther King Jr. once urged Nichols to remain on the show, recognizing the importance of her role as a groundbreaking symbol of representation and influence.

The lawsuit claimed that Gila Medical Center hired, credentialed, and improperly supervised unqualified medical providers who treated Nichols after she developed a new heart condition. According to the family, Nichols was sent to the emergency room for diagnosis, but the evaluation and treatment were inadequate. The complaint also alleged that the hospital failed to arrange a transfer to a more appropriate facility in Las Cruces, where she could have received specialized care.

Attorney Lisa Curtis, speaking for the Nichols family, said Nichols needed timely diagnosis and treatment and that the transfer should have been handled more effectively. She criticized what she described as poor hospital policies and said the situation should have been an easy call, given the short distance to another medical center.

Nichols was later transferred to an assisted living facility, where she died hours afterward. The family said that sequence of events showed serious failures in care and decision-making. The jury apparently agreed that the medical facility bore responsibility, reaching its verdict after about two hours of deliberation.

Attempts to reach Gila Medical Center and its attorney for comment were unsuccessful. However, in court filings, the hospital maintained that Nichols died of natural causes.

The verdict marks a major development in a case that has drawn attention not only because of the amount awarded, but also because of Nichols’ legacy. Her role in Star Trek helped open doors for Black women in television and remains part of her enduring cultural impact. The $13 million award reflects the jury’s finding that the medical facility was negligent in her death.