# Uber liability ruling for California passenger death

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/uber-liability-ruling-for-california-passenger-death
> Updated: 2026-09-19T17:33:25.000Z. Sources: 55. Developments: 2.

An arbitrator has ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the parents and husband of Emily Normandin-Parker, a 23-year-old UCLA graduate who was fatally struck on a California freeway in August 2023.

The incident occurred in Orange County when driver Vu Tran stopped his vehicle at an unsafe and illegal gore point on State Route 73 after a passenger became ill. Following a dispute regarding a cleaning fee, the driver reportedly ejected the passengers—Normandin-Parker and her friend Luna Moore—from the vehicle. Normandin-Parker was subsequently struck and killed by another vehicle while on the freeway.

Presiding arbitrator Richard A. Stone, a retired judge, found both Uber and Tran liable for the death following a five-day arbitration process. The ruling rejected Uber’s argument that California’s Proposition 22 immunizes the company from vicarious liability, concluding instead that Uber acts as a passenger transportation service. Stone noted that the driver appeared to show “far more worry for his new car than he did for his passengers” and had “needlessly placed” the passengers in mortal danger through negligence.

The $40 million award will be split between the deceased’s parents and her husband. The family intends to use the funds to support the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation.

## Claims

- Uber was ordered to pay $40 million to the parents of Emily Normandin-Parker. (disputed by 13 sources)
- The driver, Vu Tran, demanded a cleaning fee from the passengers after one became ill in the vehicle. (corroborated by 13 sources)
- The arbitrator found that driver Vu Tran acted with negligence and anger by stopping in an illegal gore point on a freeway. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Uber argued it was not liable because the driver was an independent contractor under Proposition 22. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Emily Normandin-Parker was 23 years old and a graduate of UCLA when she was killed in August 2023. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- GPS data showed the driver drove near the victim's body before exiting the freeway. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Retired judge Richard A. Stone ruled that California's Proposition 22 does not exempt Uber from vicarious liability for driver actions. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-19: Uber ordered to pay $40 million for fatal California freeway incident

An arbitrator has ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the family of a 23-year-old woman killed after her driver left her on a California freeway following a dispute over a cleaning fee.

18 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uber-ordered-to-pay-40-million-to-parents-of-deceased-passenger

### 2026-09-17: Uber ordered to pay $40 million for passenger's death on California freeway

Uber has been ordered to pay $40 million to the family of Emily Normandin-Parker, a woman killed on a California freeway after her driver left her stranded following a dispute over a cleaning fee.

38 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uber-ordered-to-pay-40m-in-wrongful-death-arbitration

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Cite as: Uber liability ruling for California passenger death. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/uber-liability-ruling-for-california-passenger-death