Uber Ordered to Pay $40 Million in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A California arbitrator awarded $20 million each to the parents of Emily Normandin-Parker, who was killed after being removed from an Uber vehicle.
Uber has been ordered to pay $40 million to the family of Emily Normandin-Parker, a 23-year-old woman who died in August 2023 after her Uber driver left her and a friend on the side of a California road. The driver, Vu Tran, reportedly demanded that Normandin-Parker and her friend Luna Moore, 24, exit his vehicle after Moore vomited.
According to the lawsuit filed by Normandin-Parker's parents, Carol Normandin and Ken Parker, the driver was allegedly arguing with Moore about a cleaning fee when Normandin-Parker walked into traffic and was struck by another vehicle. Judge Richard Stone, who served as the arbitrator in the case, stated that Tran showed "far more worry for his new car than he did for his passengers" and could have taken the women to a safe location.
"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."
During a five-day arbitration hearing, Uber contended that Tran was an independent contractor and that the company should not be held liable for his actions. The arbitrator awarded Normandin and Parker $20 million each. Moore was awarded $300,000 out of her requested $8.5 million.
Uber released a statement expressing disagreement with the ruling. "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 said. "No family should have to suffer the loss of a child, and our thoughts continue to be with the Normandin-Parker family."
The Normandin-Parker family established the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation to honor their daughter and advocate for corporate accountability and improved safety regulations for rideshare companies. They reportedly turned down a settlement offer from Uber that included a clause prohibiting them from publicly discussing the incident, with financial penalties for each violation.
"We turned it down because we would never accept that kind of condition," Ken Parker told CBS. "The case was never about money in the first place."
Information about the car that struck Normandin-Parker is limited, beyond the fact that it was traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour at the time of the accident.