LOS ANGELES — A retired judge ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the parents of a 23-year-old UCLA graduate who was struck and killed on a California freeway after a rideshare driver ordered her and a friend out of the car.

The award, reported by the BBC, the Los Angeles Times, and the family’s lawyers at Panish, Shea, Ravipudi, came after a five-day arbitration before Judge Richard Stone. Emily Normandin-Parker’s parents each receive $20 million.

What happened on State Route 73

On Aug. 12, 2023, Normandin-Parker booked an Uber home with a friend after a night out. Court filings and the firm’s release say her friend became sick and vomited in the car. Driver Vu Tran pulled over at a freeway gore point on California State Route 73 — the triangular wedge by an off-ramp — demanded a cleaning fee, and ordered the intoxicated women out.

Normandin-Parker was then hit by another vehicle and killed. Stone found Tran stopped at an “unsafe and illegal” location and could have taken the MacArthur Boulevard exit and dropped them somewhere safe instead. “Tran showed far more worry for his new car than he did for his passengers,” the arbitrator wrote, according to the law firm and LA Times coverage.

Lawyers said Tran did not call 911 or render aid; he instead called Uber to press for the cleaning fee. He is no longer an Uber driver. Evidence at arbitration also showed Uber had received complaints about Tran’s “reckless behavior” and told customers it was reviewing his account — but did not actually review those incidents, the firm said.

Uber’s defense — and the Prop 22 fight

Uber argued the driver was an independent contractor and that California’s Proposition 22 shielded it from liability. Stone rejected that, finding Uber has a duty to protect passengers and can be held accountable for harm caused by drivers.

Uber said it respects the process but “believe[s] the arbitrator was wrong in holding Uber legally responsible,” and pointed to later safety tech and guidance against unsafe drop-offs. The family has said Uber earlier floated a roughly $10 million settlement that would have gagged them; they declined.

“Emily did everything Uber tells riders to do — she made the responsible choice not to drive and we trusted Uber to get her home safely,” her parents said in a statement. “That trust cost our daughter her life.”

Why it matters

Gig platforms sell convenience and push liability onto “independent” drivers. A $40 million arbitration award that treats Uber as responsible for a freeway dump-off is a sharp counterweight — if it sticks on appeal or settlement. The parents say the money will fund the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation for stronger rider-safety rules; they also call the win hollow without Uber owning the failure.

Dated Friday, Sept. 18, 2026: arbitration award of $40 million to Normandin-Parker’s parents after Aug. 2023 State Route 73 death; Uber disputes liability — BBC, Los Angeles Times, Panish Shea Ravipudi.

Sources