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Uber Ordered to Pay $40M for Emily Normandin-Parker's Death
Uber pays $40 million to Emily Normandin-Parker's parents after driver left her on freeway.
In brief
Uber pays $40 million to Emily Normandin-Parker's parents after driver left her on freeway. Uber ordered to pay $40 million to Emily Normandin-Parker's parents for her death after Uber driver abandoned her on a California freeway. Originally reported by Consumer Rights Wiki.
Emily Normandin-Parker's death
Emily Normandin-Parker, 23, was struck and killed on a California freeway after Uber driver Vu Tran left her & a friend at a triangular gore point beside an off-ramp following an argument over a cleaning fee.
Arbitration award
Retired judge Richard A. Stone ordered Uber & Tran to pay her parents $40 million, $20 million to each, in a July 2026 award.
Uber's response
Uber said the arbitrator was wrong in holding Uber legally responsible for the tragic events of that night.
Emily's background
Normandin-Parker, a 2022 graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, was riding home in an Uber with her friend Luna Moore after a night out on August 12, 2023.
The incident
Tran pulled over on State Route 73 in Orange County at a gore point, according to the award.
Gore point risks
Stone described the gore point as an unsafe and illegal area, citing Vehicle Code section 21718, and wrote that Tran himself admitted this at the hearing.
Tran's actions
Stone found that Tran could have taken the nearby MacArthur Boulevard exit & stopped in a safe location.
Intoxication and argument
Stone also wrote that Tran knew both women were intoxicated & had argued with Moore over a cleaning fee before leaving them at the gore point.
GPS data
GPS data showed, notwithstanding the modest margin of error of several meters, that Tran drove near Normandin-Parker's body as he left & then pulled off at the next exit to call Uber about recovering the cleaning fee.
Tran's testimony
Stone called Tran's testimony on the critical matters largely, in fact, almost entirely, incredible and unbelievable and found that Tran showed far more worry for his new car than he did for his passengers.
Credible testimony
He also wrote that he could not confidently determine everything that happened in those moments because no one presented entirely credible testimony.
Proposition 22
California voters approved Proposition 22 in 2020, adding section 7451 to the Business and Professions Code on November 3, 2020.
Uber's argument
Uber argued that Tran was an independent contractor under California law & that the company should not be held accountable for his actions.
Uber's position
Uber said the incident was the result of Moore and Normandin-Parker's extreme intoxication, which was existent because of Moore's and Normandin-Parker's intentional conduct, not Tran's driving.
Outcome
Stone found Uber vicariously liable for Tran's negligence as a common carrier, a status he wrote carries a non-delegable safety duty.
Proposition 22 ruling
Stone rejected Uber's Proposition 22 argument, stating Prop. 22 does not immunize Uber from vicarious liability.
Award amounts
Normandin & Parker were each awarded $20 million, with Stone finding Uber and Tran jointly and severally liable.
Moore's award
Moore was awarded $300,000, and Stone found Normandin-Parker did not endure pre-death pain and suffering.
Uber's response
Uber said Tran, who can no longer drive for Uber, had completed thousands of trips without any unsafe drop-offs, freeway stops or rider injury.
Consumer response
Ken Parker told Good Morning America they turned down Uber's proposed settlement agreement with a $10 million penalty for saying anything bad about Uber.
The one thing
Uber ordered to pay $40 million to Emily Normandin-Parker's parents for her death after Uber driver abandoned her on a California freeway.
