California, Sep 19 (V7N)- Ride-sharing company Uber has been ordered to pay $40 million to the family of a 23-year-old woman who died after being dropped off on a California highway and subsequently struck by another vehicle.

The woman, identified as Emily Normandin-Parker, was returning home with a friend in an Uber on August 12, 2023. According to court documents, her friend became ill and vomited inside the vehicle during the journey.

Emily's parents alleged that the driver, Vu Tran, stopped on the side of the highway and made both women get out of the vehicle. The two women were intoxicated at the time.

After being left on the highway, Emily was struck by another vehicle and died.

Attorneys representing Emily's family said Tran did not seek assistance for the women after leaving them on the highway. Instead, they alleged that he contacted Uber to request an additional cleaning fee from Emily.

Following a five-day arbitration process, retired judge Richard Stone ordered Uber to pay $40 million in compensation to Emily's parents. The information was disclosed by Panish, Shea & Ravipudi, the law firm representing the family.

Judge Stone reportedly said the driver could have left the highway and taken the women to a safer location. He also criticized Tran's decision-making, saying the driver appeared more concerned about his vehicle than the safety of his passengers.

Arbitration is an alternative dispute-resolution process in which a dispute is decided outside the traditional court system by an appointed arbitrator. In this case, a retired judge served as the arbitrator.

Uber has disputed the decision and rejected the finding that it should be held legally responsible for the incident. The company argued that Tran was an independent contractor and that Uber should not be liable for his actions.

In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, Uber said it has introduced new technologies, policies and safety measures in recent years aimed at improving passenger safety.

Meanwhile, attorneys for Emily's family said Uber had previously offered her parents $10 million to settle the matter, allegedly on the condition that they would not speak publicly about the incident. The family rejected the offer.

END/SMA/AJ