Detroit Driver Receives $2 Million Bond in Fatal DUI Crash That Killed Ride-Share Driver
- An Orange County arbitrator has ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the parents of a woman who was struck and killed after a ride-share driver left her...
- Retired judge Richard Stone served as the arbitrator in the case and rejected arguments from Uber that California's Proposition 22 shields the company from liability for driver actions.
- 22 does not immunize Uber from vicarious liability for the wrongdoing of its drivers.
An Orange County arbitrator has ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the parents of a woman who was struck and killed after a ride-share driver left her on a highway in August 2023, according to a ruling detailed by CalMatters. The case centers on the death of 23-year-old Emily Normandin-Parker, who was left on a State Route 73 gore point after her friend became ill in the vehicle.
Arbitrator Rejects Proposition 22 Defense
Retired judge Richard Stone served as the arbitrator in the case and rejected arguments from Uber that California’s Proposition 22 shields the company from liability for driver actions. Approved by voters in 2020, the ballot initiative established that gig drivers are independent contractors rather than traditional employees, denying them standard employee benefits and protections. According to Stone’s July arbitration award cited by CalMatters, Prop. 22 does not immunize Uber from vicarious liability, which is indirect liability for the actions of another party in a legal relationship. Stone noted that key voter materials from the 2020 ballot campaign contained no reference to app-based transportation company liability.
Prop. 22 does not immunize Uber from vicarious liability for the wrongdoing of its drivers.
Richard Stone, Arbitrator
The August 2023 Incident on State Route 73
The incident began on August 12, 2023, when Uber driver Vu Tran picked up Emily Normandin-Parker and her friend, Luna Moore, from a bar. When Moore began vomiting in the back seat, Tran pulled over at a gore point, which is the small, triangular area at an off-ramp. An argument ensued between Tran and Moore. According to the arbitrator’s ruling reported by CalMatters, Normandin-Parker was inebriated, wandered into traffic, and was struck and killed. Normandin-Parker’s parents, Carol Normandin and Ken Parker, along with Moore, sued Tran and Uber in Orange County Superior Court in September 2023 before agreeing to arbitration. Stone awarded $20 million each to Normandin-Parker’s parents and $300,000 to Moore. In a November legal filing, Uber argued the incident was the result of Moore and Normandin-Parker’s extreme intoxication and intentional conduct rather than Tran’s driving.
Company Response and Legal Fallout
Uber spokesperson Gabriela Condarco-Quesada told CalMatters that the company disagrees with the decision. “We believe the arbitrator was wrong in holding Uber legally responsible for the tragic events of that night,” she said, while citing Proposition 22 and stating that the company’s thoughts continue to be with the Normandin-Parker family. Ken Parker pushed back against the company’s statement during appearances on television programs, telling CalMatters that Uber tried to prevent them from discussing the award. Parker stated that the company never apologized or acknowledged responsibility during the arbitration process. The financial award will help fund the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation, established by her parents to hold ride-hailing corporations accountable through advocacy, legislation, and regulation. Uber reported revenue exceeding $14 billion and a net income of more than $2 billion in its second quarter ending in June.
