Uber and one of its former drivers have been ordered to pay $40 million to the parents of a 23-year-old woman, who was struck and killed by traffic after an Uber ride ended prematurely on a Southern California freeway.
Retired Judge Richard A. Stone, acting as arbitrator, rejected Uber’s argument that it merely provides a software platform connecting riders with independent drivers, according to the arbitration award shared by attorneys representing the family on Friday.
Stone concluded that Uber has a common carrier’s duty to protect its passengers and is accountable for harm drivers cause.
Ride Ended in Tragedy
The award stems from the August 2023 death of Emily Normandin-Parker, a University of California–Los Angeles graduate who had called an Uber for a ride home after a night out with her friend, Luna Moore….