A retired California judge has ordered Uber Technologies, Inc. to pay $40 million to the parents of Emily Normandin-Parker, a 23-year-old UCLA graduate who was killed after an Uber driver abandoned her alongside freeway traffic during what was supposed to be a safe ride home. The award follows a five-day arbitration in which retired Judge Richard A. Stone rejected Uber's argument that it merely operates a technology platform and held that the company functions as a common carrier with a non-delegable duty to protect its passengers. Judge Stone further ruled that Proposition 22 does not shield Uber from vicarious liability for the negligence of its drivers. The arbitration arose from the August 12, 2023 death of Emily Normandin-Parker, who was left stranded on State Route 73 after Uber driver Vu Tran illegally stopped on a freeway gore point and ordered her and a friend out of the vehicle. The $40 million award provides $20 million each to Carol Normandin and Ken Parker for the wrongful death of their daughter. Emily's parents were represented by Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP attorneys Rahul Ravipudi, Ian Samson, and Matt Coe-Odess.
Uber Technologies IncArbitrator ordered Uber to pay $40 million and ruled it is a common carrier with a non-delegable duty, exposing it to vicarious liability despite Prop 22.
