Emily: family wins $40 million from Uber after fatal freeway ejection

On August 12th, 2023 a 23-year-old UCLA graduate, Emily, was ejected from an Uber by driver Vu Tran at a gore point on a California freeway after a night out with her friend Luna Moore Latorre. Per the friend’s testimony, the driver admitted he knew they were drunk; the ride was otherwise uneventful until the friend became sick, the driver yelled, 'get out of the car,' and kicked them out around 1:00 a.m. The driver later testified he thought pulling at the gore point was safest and then admitted he was wrong. Emily walked into traffic and was struck and killed minutes later; the driver has faced no criminal charges.

Emily’s parents, Ken Parker and Carol Norman, pursued damages through arbitration overseen by a retired California Superior Court judge (a former prosecutor). The arbitrator found Uber legally responsible, ordered the driver and Uber to pay Carol and Ken $40 million, and also awarded Luna $300,000. The judge singled out three areas for Uber to change: driver training, complaint handling, and the company’s general approach to safety. The couple say Uber tried to keep the decision confidential; they refused. The family also reports Uber applied a 'cleaning fee' to Emily’s account after the driver called to report a 'safety concern.'

Uber’s position in the transcript: it treats its core product as the app, views drivers as independent contractors, and says it believes the arbitrator was wrong while expressing condolences. The company noted it has provided additional guidance to drivers about avoiding drop-offs in unsafe locations. The parents and Luna say the award may help force policy change; Luna said she has not taken 'a single Uber' since Emily died. Carol and Ken established a foundation in Emily’s name to preserve her legacy and advocacy.

Key factual anchors in the record: 'Vu Tran', 'gore point', 'cleaning fee', 'retired California Superior Court judge', '$40 million', 'Luna Moore Latorre'.