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Retired California judge Richard A Stone ordered Uber and driver Vu Tran to pay $40 million to the parents of Emily Normandin-Parker, a 23-year-old woman killed in 2023 after being kicked out by her cab driver on a freeway in Orange County, California. The incident occurred when Moore became ill during their ride back from a night out; instead of safely dropping them off, the driver argued over cleaning fees and left the women at an unsafe location near State Route 73. Normandin-Parker was hit by another car while wandering into traffic. Arbitrator Stone ruled that both Uber and Tran were liable for her death, rejecting arguments from Uber that it should not be held responsible.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On August 12, 2023, Emily Normandin-Parker, a 23-year-old UCLA graduate, was killed after her Uber driver left her and a friend on the side of State Route 73 in Orange County, California. The women had vomited inside the car, prompting the driver to kick them out at an unsafe location near an exit ramp. Emily was subsequently hit by another vehicle while waiting for help.
In a five-day arbitration hearing, Uber argued that the driver was an independent contractor and not their responsibility under California law. However, arbitrator Richard A. Stone ruled against Uber, ordering it to pay $40 million to Emily’s parents, Carol Normandin and Ken Parker, with $20 million going to each parent. The company has contested the decision.
The ruling aims to highlight safety issues in ride-hailing services and may impact how companies like Uber are held accountable for the actions of their drivers.
Written for “Uber Wrongful Death Settlement” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.
Rideshare giant Uber and one of its drivers have been ordered by an arbitrator to pay $40 million in damages to the parents of a 23-year-old woman, Emily Normandin-Parker, who was struck and killed by traffic after the cab driver kicked her and her friend out of the cab on a California freeway.
asserted
driver → order → freeway
The ruling, issued by retired California judge Richard A Stone acting as arbitrator, awarded $20 million each to the parents of Emily Normandin-Parker — Carol Normandin and Ken Parker — holding Uber and driver Vu Tran jointly and severally liable.
asserted
Uber → issue → Parker
An additional $300,000 was awarded to Normandin-Parker’s friend, Luna Moore.
asserted
300,000 → award → friend
The 2023 incident
The incident occurred on August 12, 2023, when Normandin-Parker was travelling home with Moore after a night out.
asserted
Parker → occur → night
During the ride, Moore became sick inside the vehicle.
asserted
Moore → become → vehicle
The driver, Vu Tran, pulled over at a freeway "gore point"— a triangular area where lanes diverge near an exit — on State Route 73 in Orange County.
asserted
lanes → pull → County
According to arbitration findings, Tran argued with Moore over a cleaning fee and ordered both women out of the vehicle in an unsafe area instead of taking a nearby exit onto MacArthur Boulevard to drop them off safely.
uncertain
Tran → accord → them
After being left beside the highway, Normandin-Parker, who was intoxicated, wandered into traffic and was fatally struck by a passing vehicle as the rideshare car drove away.
asserted
car → leave → vehicle
Arbitrator Stone noted that the driver "showed far more worry for his new car than he did for his passengers."
Liability and ruling
Arbitrator Stone rejected the driver's argument that Normandin-Parker's entry into traffic lanes relieved him of responsibility.
asserted
entry → note → responsibility
He also held Uber legally responsible, ruling that the company acts as a common carrier with a non-delegable duty of care towards its passengers.
asserted
company → hold → passengers
GPS evidence presented during the hearing revealed that after leaving the scene, the driver passed near Normandin-Parker’s body before exiting and contacting Uber to claim the cleaning fee.
uncertain
driver → present → fee
Uber disputed the arbitrator's legal findings in a public statement.
asserted
Uber → dispute → statement
"While we respect the arbitration process, we believe the arbitrator was wrong in holding Uber legally responsible for the tragic events of that night," the company stated, adding that its thoughts remain with the family.
asserted
thoughts → respect → family
Uber confirmed that the driver no longer has access to its platform and noted that it has updated driver guidance regarding unsafe drop-off points.
asserted
it → confirm → points
Lawyers for the family stated that Uber initially offered a settlement agreement following the arbitration decision that required strict confidentiality, backed by a $10 million penalty for each breach.
asserted
that → state → breach
The family rejected the offer.
asserted
family → reject → offer
"We turned it down because we would never accept that kind of condition.
asserted
we → turn → condition
The case was never about money in the first place," said Ken Parker.
asserted
Parker → say → place
The family has established the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation to advocate for stronger safety protections for rideshare passengers.
asserted
family → establish → passengers
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