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Family awarded $40 million after daughter left on freeway by Uber driver is killed

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Cite

Rodriguez, M. (2026, September 18). Family awarded $40 million after daughter left on freeway by Uber driver is killed. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/family-awarded-40-million-after-uber-driver-leaves-daughter-on-orange-county-freeway/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

CBS News · collected 2026-09-18 · by Matthew Rodriguez

Quick Summary

A California family received $40 million from an arbitration hearing after their daughter Emily Normandin-Parker was killed when an Uber driver abandoned her on a freeway. On August 12, 2023, the women were ejected from the car after one of them vomited; Normandin-Parker was subsequently hit by another vehicle. Despite arguing that the driver is an independent contractor and not their responsibility, Uber was ordered to pay $20 million each to her parents. The family rejected a settlement agreement with restrictions on speaking about the incident publicly and established a foundation advocating for better rideshare safety regulations.
Written by AI on 2026-09-19, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On August 12, 2023, Emily Normandin-Parker, a 23-year-old UCLA graduate, was killed after her Uber driver left her and a friend on the side of State Route 73 in Orange County, California. The women had vomited inside the car, prompting the driver to kick them out at an unsafe location near an exit ramp. Emily was subsequently hit by another vehicle while waiting for help.

In a five-day arbitration hearing, Uber argued that the driver was an independent contractor and not their responsibility under California law. However, arbitrator Richard A. Stone ruled against Uber, ordering it to pay $40 million to Emily’s parents, Carol Normandin and Ken Parker, with $20 million going to each parent. The company has contested the decision.

The ruling aims to highlight safety issues in ride-hailing services and may impact how companies like Uber are held accountable for the actions of their drivers.

Written for “Uber Wrongful Death Settlement” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Uber Wrongful Death Settlement
Other · 9 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 5% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
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Hedges 1 of 19 claims Outlet record 66/100
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How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
19
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
5%
1 of 19 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
66/100
CBS News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
9
Other
Same framing elsewhere
2
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-19 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

CBS News · 4280 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)
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Who wrote this

Matthew Rodriguez
6 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 "The role of a president is to protect the country, not to actively threaten it and encourage attacks on American lives," L.A. Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X. San Diego, the nation's eighth-largest city, has major military installations in and around it including: - Naval Base San Diego, the homeport of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet - Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where 70,000 civilians and active-duty service members live and work - Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, the main training ground for Navy SEALs on the West Coast "San Diego is not collateral damage," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote on X. "We are not expendable.
2026-10-06 · assertive framing · Trump suggests letting Iran "take out" L.A., San Diego during rally
🔮 "What he would do is damage our state even further, make it harder for working families," Becerra said.
2026-10-01 · assertive framing · Becerra, Hilton face off in California gubernatorial debate
🔮 A Reach spokesperson said they are aware of the incident but could not provide further information. "Our immediate concern is for the well-being of those involved," the spokesperson wrote in a statement.
2026-10-01 · mixed framing · Helicopter crashes off Catalina Island coast, rescue efforts underway
🔮 The Riverside County Registrar of Voters said it "will continue to comply with all lawful court orders and with all legal obligations applicable to election materials and election administration." After the filings, in late March that he would pause his investigation "because of the politically motivated lawsuits and court filings" before the state to halt the probe in April.
2026-09-24 · assertive framing · California sheriff unlawfully seized ballots, state Supreme Court rules
🔮 "We turned it down because we would never accept that kind of condition," Parker said.
2026-09-18 · assertive framing · Family awarded $40 million after daughter left on freeway by Uber driver is killed
🔮 "We turned it down because we would never accept that kind of condition," Parker said.
2026-09-18 · assertive framing · Family awarded $40 million after daughter left on freeway by Uber driver is killed
Also by Matthew Rodriguez
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2026-10-06 · CBS News
Becerra, Hilton face off in California gubernatorial debate
2026-10-01 · CBS News
Helicopter crashes off Catalina Island coast, rescue efforts underway
2026-10-01 · CBS News
California sheriff unlawfully seized ballots, state Supreme Court rules
2026-09-24 · CBS News
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 6 articles by Matthew Rodriguez →

Topics

California Orange County Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP Uber the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation

Subjects

Uber ORG · 10× Normandin PERSON · 4× Parker PERSON · 4× California GPE · 1× Carol Normandin PERSON · 1× Emily Normandin-Parker PERSON · 1× Ken Parker PERSON · 1× Normandin-Parker PERSON · 1× Normandin-Parker's PERSON · 1× Orange County GPE · 1×

Narrative

During a five-day arbitration hearing, Uber argued that the driver was an independent contractor under California law and that the ridesharing company should not be held accountable for his actions.
framing: assertive · carried by 2 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-19
🔮 "We turned it down because we would never accept that kind of condition," Parker said.
2026-09-19 · CBS News
Family awarded $40 million after daughter left on freeway by Uber driver is killed · assertive framing
2026-09-19 · CBS News
Family awarded $40 million after daughter left on freeway by Uber driver is killed · assertive framing

Claims (19 extracted, 1 hedged)

Uber was ordered to pay $40 million to the family of a woman killed on an Orange County freeway after a rideshare driver left her on the side of the road. asserted
driver → order → road
Carol Normandin and Ken Parker said their 23-year-old daughter, Emily Normandin-Parker, and a friend ordered an Uber after a night out on Aug. 12, 2023. asserted
daughter → say → Aug.
During the ride, Normandin-Parker's friend became sick and vomited in the car. asserted
friend → become → car
The driver pulled over to the side of State Route 73 and kicked the women out of the car, leaving them on the side of the freeway. asserted
driver → pull → freeway
Normandin-Parker was fatally struck by another car as their Uber drove away. asserted
Uber → strike → car
"The reason we're talking is because he didn't take responsibility and neither did Uber," Parker said. asserted
Parker → talk → responsibility
"They're still not taking responsibility. asserted
They → take → responsibility
We do not want this to ever happen to another mother or another father." asserted
this → want → mother
During a five-day arbitration hearing, Uber argued that the driver was an independent contractor under California law and that the ridesharing company should not be held accountable for his actions. asserted
company → argue → actions
A retired judge acting as the arbitrator awarded Normandin and Parker $20 million each. asserted
judge → act → million
In a statement, Uber disagreed with the decision. asserted
Uber → disagree → decision
"No family should have to suffer the loss of a child, and our thoughts continue to be with the Normandin-Parker family," Uber said. asserted
Uber → have → family
"While we respect the arbitration process, we believe the arbitrator was wrong in holding Uber legally responsible for the tragic events of that night." asserted
Uber → respect → night
After the decision, Uber initially offered a settlement agreement that prohibited Normandin and Parker from publicly discussing the incident, with a provision requiring them to pay $10 million each time they did, according to Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP, the law firm representing the family. uncertain
they → offer → family
"We turned it down because we would never accept that kind of condition," Parker said. asserted
Parker → turn → condition
The family created the Emily Normandin-Parker Foundation to honor their daughter and advocate for stronger rideshare safety regulations. asserted
family → create → regulations
"In a private car, it's whatever rules they have," Normandin said. asserted
Normandin → have → rules
"It's whatever they're offended by. asserted
they → offend → whatever
I think the whole business model of someone getting in a stranger's car, a stranger to both Uber and a stranger to us, is just dangerous." asserted
model → think → us
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