The arbitration award remains the operative development in this matter. Retired Judge Richard A. Stone, sitting as private arbitrator, issued a $40.3 million decision against Uber and driver Vu Tran — made public September 17, 2026 — following a five-day proceeding. No court filings, appeals, or statements have been reported since that date. The situation continues to develop in the legal sphere; no new evidence has emerged as of September 28, 2026.

At approximately 1 a.m. on August 12, 2023, Tran picked up Emily Normandin-Parker and her friend Luna Moore after a night out. When Moore became ill and vomited, Tran stopped the vehicle illegally in a gore point on State Route 73 near the MacArthur Boulevard exit in Newport Beach rather than using the nearby off-ramp. According to Stone's findings, Tran demanded a cleaning fee and ordered both women out of the vehicle. Normandin-Parker, 23, a UCLA graduate, was subsequently struck by traffic and killed.

Stone found Uber and Tran jointly and severally liable. The award allocates $20 million to each of Normandin-Parker's parents — Carol Normandin and Ken Parker — and $300,000 to Moore. The family was represented by Panish Shea Ravipudi (attorney Ian Samson).

In his ruling, Stone rejected Uber's argument that Proposition 22 — the 2020 California ballot measure classifying app-based drivers as independent contractors — bars vicarious liability for driver conduct. Stone wrote that Tran "showed far more worry for his new car than he did for his passengers."

Uber has stated publicly that the arbitrator was wrong to hold it legally responsible for Tran's conduct, according to the Los Angeles Times. The company has not announced whether it intends to challenge the award in court.

Arbitration awards in California can be confirmed or vacated in Superior Court. Grounds for vacatur are narrow under the California Arbitration Act. Whether Uber seeks judicial review — and the timeline for any such challenge — has not been reported.