Family awarded $40 million after Uber driver leaves daughter on Orange County freeway, tell me about this news in (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/family-awarded-40-million-after-uber-driver-leaves-daughter-on-orange-county-freeway/ar-AA2ctHWX?ocid=BingNewsVerp)

An arbitrator ordered Uber and one of its drivers, Vu Tran, to pay $40 million to the parents of 23-year-old Emily Normandin-Parker, who was struck and killed after being abandoned on an Orange County freeway in Southern California.

The incident occurred when Emily and a friend, Luna Moore, were taking an Uber home after a night out in 2023. When Moore became ill inside the vehicle, the driver pulled over at an unsafe and illegal gore point on State Route 73 instead of taking a nearby exit to a safe location. Following an argument over a cleaning fee, the driver stranded both women on the side of the freeway, where Normandin-Parker was subsequently struck and killed by a passing vehicle. A friend traveling with her received a separate award of $300,000.

Retired Judge Richard A. Stone presided over the five-day arbitration and found both Uber and the driver jointly and severally liable. The arbitrator rejected Uber’s defense that it is merely a technology company rather than a common carrier, and concluded that Proposition 22 did not shield the company from liability.

An Uber spokesperson stated that the company believes the arbitrator was wrong in holding Uber legally responsible, noting that they have since updated driver safety protocols regarding passenger drop-off locations. Meanwhile, the family rejected an initial settlement proposal that included a non-disparagement clause and have directed the arbitration proceeds toward creating the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation to advocate for stronger rideshare safety regulations and industry accountability.