Many of us remember Paul Walker for his entertaining movies, especially the Fast and Furious franchise. Others, like his daughter, remember him in a different light – as a loving father who left this world too soon. The actor’s tragic death nearly four years ago shocked the world after he passed away in a car accident. He had been riding as a passenger in a “Porsche Carrera GT while his friend, Roger Rodas, was driving.” Shortly after his death, though, his daughter, Meadow Walker, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche, alleging that the “history of instability and control issues by the car, more specifically her father being trapped by a faulty seat belt, is what led Paul to burn alive.” Fortunately for Miss Walker, the lawsuit was settled on October 16th.
Many of us remember Paul Walker for his entertaining movies, especially the Fast and Furious franchise. Others, like his daughter, remember him in a different light – as a loving father who left this world too soon. The actor’s tragic death nearly four years ago shocked the world after he passed away in a car accident. He had been riding as a passenger in a “Porsche Carrera GT while his friend, Roger Rodas, was driving.” Shortly after his death, though, his daughter, Meadow Walker, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche, alleging that the “history of instability and control issues by the car, more specifically her father being trapped by a faulty seat belt, is what led Paul to burn alive.” Fortunately for Miss Walker, the lawsuit was settled on October 16th.
So why exactly was the lawsuit filed against Porsche? Well, according to Jeff Milan, a lawyer for Meadow, “even though Porsche knew that the Carrera GT had a history of instability and control issues, they failed to install its electronic stability control system…which is specifically designed to protect against the swerving actions inherent in hyper-sensitive vehicles of this type.”
So essentially, if the proper system had been installed as it should have been, there is a possibility the accident wouldn’t have occurred. Unfortunately, the proper safety measures weren’t in place, “preventing Walker from escaping once the car hit a tree” in the crash. According to court records, Walker’s seat belt snapped his “torso back with thousands of pounds of force, thereby breaking his ribs and pelvis.”
“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,” Milan said in an earlier statement.
At the time the lawsuit was filed, Porsche pushed back against the allegations that there was something wrong with the car. In a statement the company said:
“As we’ve said before, we are very sad whenever anyone is hurt in a Porsche vehicle. But we believe the authorities’ reports in this case clearly establish that this tragic crash resulted from reckless driving and excessive speed.”
In terms of the settlement, both parties appear pleased with the amount and have requested a dismissal of the lawsuit. However, details surrounding the lawsuit are being kept confidential. In addition to the settlement, Meadow was also “awarded $10.1 million on behalf of Roger’s estate” last year, to which her lawyer said:
“The amount paid by the estate of Roger Rodas into a trust for Meadow Walker only covers a fraction of what her father would have earned as an international movie star had his life not tragically been cut short…Through his estate, Mr. Rodas, the driver of the car, took partial responsibility for the crash. Meadow’s lawsuit against Porsche AG — a $13 billion corporation — intends to hold the company responsible for producing a vehicle that was defective and caused Paul Walker’s death.”
Fortunately for Meadow, her lawyer followed through and justice was served.
Sources:
Paul Walker’s Daughter Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Paul Walker’s Daughter Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit Four Years Later
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