Judge Richard Stone ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the parents of Emily Normandin-Parker after a five-day arbitration process found the company responsible for the fatal freeway death of the 23-year-old UCLA graduate. The award split the amount evenly, with Carol Normandin and Ken Parker receiving $20 million each.
Emily Normandin-Parker and California 73
Normandin-Parker called an Uber after a night out with a friend in August 2023 and did not make it home. An Uber driver pulled over on California 73 and ordered her and the friend out of the vehicle. Normandin-Parker was then hit and killed by another car on the freeway.
Stone wrote in the arbitration that the driver stopped at an unsafe and illegal gore point and could have used the MacArthur Boulevard exit ramp to stop at a safe place instead. He also wrote that Uber has a duty to protect its passengers and is accountable for harm caused by drivers.
Vu Tran and the award
The arbitration also described the conduct of Vu Tran, who was no longer driving for Uber. Stone wrote that Tran showed far more worry for his new car than he did for his passengers. The record also says Tran had completed nearly 6,000 trips with a 4.96 rating, and that Uber had received multiple complaints about his reckless behavior.
Carol Normandin described the legal victory as “hollow” and told Good Morning America, “He chose to pull over there and demand money and kick them out of the car.” She added, “They argue, Emily gets hit while they’re arguing.” Ken Parker told The Times, “It’s hard to describe the reaction because it’s a terrible thing that happened,” and later said, “My reaction was relief... a hollow sense of victory.”
Uber and Proposition 22
Uber said, “No family should have to suffer the loss of a child, and our thoughts continue to be with the Normandin-Parker family.” In the same statement, it said, “While we respect the arbitration process, we believe the arbitrator was wrong in holding Uber legally responsible for the tragic events of that night.”
Stone rejected Uber’s claim that Proposition 22 prevented the company from being held liable. The award came from arbitration rather than a court verdict, and it left Uber with a $40 million liability tied to a passenger’s death after a roadside drop-off. The ruling gives the parents a monetary award, but it also leaves the company’s legal position in dispute.
