More than three years after the 23-year-old’s death, a California court ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the family as compensation. Because her friend vomited in it, in 2023, Emily Normandin-Parker was struck by a vehicle and killed on a California freeway after her Uber driver ejected her from the car.
“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. That trust cost our daughter her life,” a statement from the family read. “Uber’s promises are premised on representations of safety through training, supervision, and alleged safety tools. There was no training, no supervision, and Uber’s documents and witnesses acknowledged the ‘tools’ were designed to be ineffective. Why would Uber do such a thing?
Uber Technologies, Inc. argued that its operations are restricted to being a technology provider, claiming it is not directly responsible for the death of the 23-year-old. They cited the 2020 California Proposition 2020 by which app-based drivers were classified as “independent contractors. Because Uber prioritizes profits over safety,” Rahul Ravipudi, one of the family’s attorneys, noted.
Uber followed its policy by not looking properly at they complaints unless they result in death or citations, according to Emily Normandin-Parker’s legal team.
