Back in December 2013, Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker died in a tragic car accident/explosion while driving his Porsche in Los Angeles. The car crashed and burst into flames, with Paul stuck inside the vehicle. Now, his daughter Meadow is suing Porsche, claiming that the car company cut corners on safety measures and that her father could still be alive if it weren’t for their negligence.
Law enforcement have claimed that the fact that the driver of the Porsche, Roger Rodas, was driving between 80 and 93 MPH, means that speeding caused the collision, but Meadow’s lawsuit claims the vehicle was only going between 63 and 71 MPH. It also says that if the car had a proper stabilization system, the car wouldn’t have gone out of control.
From TMZ:
According to the lawsuit — obtained by TMZ — lawyers for 16-year-old Meadow Walker claim when the Porsche Carrera GT crashed and broke apart, Paul’s seat belt “snapped Walker’s torso back with thousands of pounds of force, thereby breaking his ribs and pelvis,” and trapping him in the passenger seat.
The suit claims the fire didn’t erupt for 1 minute and 20 seconds after impact, but Paul was helplessly trapped. When the fire broke out, Paul was still alive. The suit alleges, “Paul Walker breathed soot into his trachea while the Porsche Carrera GT burned.”
Meadow’s lawyers claim Porsche knew the Carrera GT had “a history of instability and control issues.”
Meadow’s lawyers say the defect could have been corrected with a Porsche Stability Management System (PSM), which prevents swerving. They say the company intentionally decided not to install PSMs in the Carrera GT, even though it was standard in many other models.
The suit raises other issues with the car, including claims there were deficient side door reinforcements and fuel lines that did not adequately protect the car from erupting in flames.
Meadow’s lawyer, Jeff Milam, tells TMZ, “The bottom line is that the Porsche Carrera GT is a dangerous car. It doesn’t belong on the street. And we shouldn’t be without Paul Walker or his friend, Roger Rodas.”
Whether or not anything comes of this, and how much money in damages Meadow is seeking, is unknown. This whole situation is very sad, but unless she can prove the vehicle wasn’t speeding, there’s likely no way Porsche will be found guilty of any negligence.