Jury Awards ‘Star Trek’ Legend Nichelle Nichols’ Estate in Lawsuit Against New Mexico Hospital

A New Mexico jury has found the Gila Regional Medical Center negligent in the death of Nichelle Nichols, who famously played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on the hit television series “Star Trek.”

According to KRQE News 13, Nichols’ family filed a lawsuit against the hospital last year following her 2022 admission for shortness of breath.

Nichols’ family claimed that she should have received a full cardiac examination, but the medical personnel sent her to the observation unit, and she was discharged the next day. After being transported to her assisted living home, the 89-year-old passed away just seven hours later.

In response to Nichol’s tragic passing, the lawsuit alleged that Gila Medical Center “hired, credentialed, and inappropriately supervised unqualified medical providers” who treated the actress.

The lawsuit also alleged that the hospital failed to secure a bed for Nichols or transfer her to a facility that had one. Furthermore, the attorney argued that the staff should have known that the assisted living center was not equipped to handle a patient with her medical needs.

On Thursday (June 4), a jury found the hospital negligent and awarded Nichols’ estate $13 million.

“Nichelle Nichols had a new heart condition, and the great people who were taking care of her sent her to the emergency room to be diagnosed,” said Lias Curtis, the Nichols’ family attorney, in a statement. “They did a terrible job of that.”

“So, she needed to see somebody who could diagnose her and treat her. They didn’t transfer her to Las Cruces,” Curtis continued. “It’s just a trip down I-25. It should have been an easy call, but the problem is a hospital with very poor policies for that.”

A trailblazing actress, singer and dancer, Nichols’ portrayal of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on “Star Trek: The Original Series” was one of the first non-stereotypical major roles for a Black woman on American television. Her performance was so impactful that civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. personally persuaded her to stay on the show after she considered leaving, noting her vital role as a positive role model.

Nichols also went on to release several albums and toured with jazz icons Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton, and she was a recipient of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Collaborating with NASA through her organization, Women in Motion, Nichols dedicated decades to recruiting diverse personnel, single-handedly helping to bring the first female and minority astronauts into the space program, including Sally Ride and Guion Bluford.