Uber and one of its drivers have been held liable for $40 million in damages to the parents of a 23-year-old California woman who was struck and killed by traffic after being left on a freeway during a ride home in 2023.
Retired California Judge Richard Stone, acting as an arbitrator, found Uber and driver Vu Tran jointly responsible for the death of Emily Normandin-Parker following a five-day arbitration hearing.
Normandin-Parker, a UCLA graduate, booked an Uber with her friend Luna Moore on August 12, 2023, after a night out. During the journey, Moore became sick inside the vehicle and Tran stopped at a gore point on State Route 73 in Orange County, an area separating the freeway from an exit ramp.
The arbitration found that Tran became angry over what had happened and left the two women at the unsafe location despite knowing they were intoxicated. Normandin-Parker was subsequently struck and killed by passing traffic.
Evidence considered during the proceedings showed that Tran drove away and stopped at the next exit, where he contacted Uber about obtaining a cleaning fee rather than calling emergency services. Stone found that the driver could instead have taken the nearby exit and stopped at a safer location.
The arbitrator awarded $20 million each to Normandin-Parker’s parents, Carol Normandin and Ken Parker. Uber and Tran were found jointly responsible for the damages, while Moore received a separate $300,000 award.
A central issue in the proceedings was whether Uber could be held responsible for the conduct of a driver classified as an independent contractor. Uber argued that it operates a technology platform connecting passengers with independent drivers, but Stone rejected that position in determining liability in this case.
Uber disagreed with the decision, saying the arbitrator was wrong to hold the company legally responsible. The company said it had continued strengthening its safety measures through technology, policies and additional guidance to drivers about avoiding unsafe passenger drop-off locations.
Because the dispute was resolved through private arbitration under Uber’s terms of service rather than through a court judgment, the decision does not create binding legal precedent for other cases. It nevertheless resulted in a finding that Uber could be held responsible for the driver’s negligence under the circumstances examined in this dispute.
Normandin-Parker’s parents have established a foundation in their daughter’s name and said they intend to use the award to support rider-safety advocacy, scholarships and other initiatives.
