Estate of ‘Star Trek’ pioneer Nichelle Nichols awarded millions in wrongful death lawsuit, but family will only see a fraction of it
TheGrio...
According to Nichols’ attorney, under New Mexico state law, families and estates can recover no more than $400,000 if suing hospitals regulated by government agencies.
A jury has awarded the estate of “Star Trek” actress Nichelle Nichols $13 million after filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City, New Mexico.
Nichols, who died from heart failure in 2022, was admitted to Gila Medical, complaining of shortness of breath on July 29, 2022. The lawsuit alleges the actress should have received a full cardiac workup, considering that she had a heart condition. Instead, Nichols was sent to an observation unit and discharged on July 30, when she died several hours later.
The nine-page suit alleged that GRMC “fostered an environment which prevented Ms. Nichols from being diagnosed and treated properly.”
“Nichelle was taken in by ambulance because she was having sudden heart problems. They didn’t do cardiac work on her, and that was needed. They put her in an observation unit, which is not where she needed to go. She needed to get transferred to Las Cruces, where they have cardiologists on staff and on call and the right equipment just to diagnose her and take care of her,” Lisa Curtis, Nichols’ attorney, told KOAT in September 2025.
Despite being awarded $13 million, the Nichols family is only to receive a fraction of it.
According to Theresa Hacsi, an attorney for the Nichols’ family, they will only receive around $400,000, as it is the maximum award they can receive under New Mexico’s Tort Claims Act, which regulates hospitals owned by governmental agencies. GRMC falls under that law.
A second lawsuit in the case is currently pending.
Nichols, the first Black woman to star on television, became a legend for her portrayal of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on the popular sci-fi show. She also returned to the role for several “Star Trek” films from 1979 to 1991. She was featured in 67 of the 78 original episodes of “Star Trek” that aired from 1966 to 1969. She nearly left the show after its first season to return to the theater, but stayed at the behest of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who hailed her as a “vital role model” for young Black girls.