The daughter of actor Paul Walker has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche, alleging that her father was killed because of “multiple design flaws” in the Porsche Carrera GT. The Furious 7 star died in 2013 when the car his friend Roger Rodas was driving crashed into a lamppost while they were going approximately 90 mph in a 45-zone in Southern California; the ride burst into flames, burning both passengers beyond recognition. Now 16-year-old Meadow Rain Walker is seeking unspecified damages.
“The bottom line is that the Porsche Carrera GT is a dangerous car. It doesn’t belong on the street,” Walker’s attorney, Jeff Milam, said in a statement. “And we shouldn’t be without Paul Walker or his friend, Roger Rodas.”
The lawsuit alleges “the vehicle lacked safety features that are found on well-designed racing cars or even Porsche’s least expensive road cars — features that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash.” (Via)
An investigation by the LAPD revealed the cause of death to be “unsafe speed for the roadway conditions,” and that there were “no pre-existing conditions that would have caused this collision.” However, the lawsuit alleges that the Porsche used “side door reinforcement bars that lacked adequate welds and consisted of material weaker in strength than what is used in popular mass-market cars… designed and built to be operated at speeds much slower than the Carrera GT.” A spokesperson for Porsche denied the claim, saying, “We believe the authorities’ reports in this case clearly established that this tragic crash resulted from reckless driving and excessive speed.”
The lawsuit does not have a reported figure in damages yet.
(Via CNN)
