Uber ordered to pay $40m over death of woman ejected by driver on freeway
An arbitrator has ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the parents of a woman who died after being ejected from a vehicle on a California freeway. The ruling rejected Uber's claim that it is merely a technology platform, classifying it instead as a common carrier liable for driver negligence.
Why it matters
This decision challenges the gig economy's legal defense regarding independent contractor status and could set a precedent for corporate liability in ride-sharing incidents.
The Uber headquarters in San Francisco. The Uber headquarters in San Francisco. Uber Uber ordered to pay $40m over death of woman ejected by driver on freeway California judge finds company ‘vicariously liable’ for driver’s negligence in death of Emily Normandin-Parker
Prefer the Guardian on Google Uber was ordered to pay $40m to the parents of a 23-year-old woman who was killed after a driver kicked her and a friend out of his car by the side of a California freeway, according to newly public arbitration documents.
An arbitrator, retired Calfornia judge Richard A Stone, found that the ride-share company was “vicariously liable” for the driver’s negligence.
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