FAMILY SUES PORSCHE AFTER PAUL WALKER DEATH

News about the tragic death of “Fast and the Furious” star Paul Walker affected fans in British Columbia and around the world. Now, the widow of the man who was driving the vehicle in the crash that claimed the actor’s life is pursuing a wrongful death claim against the maker of the vehicle, Porsche Cars North America.

Law enforcement officers determined that the man was driving the 2005 Porsche Carrerra GT at unsafe speeds. However, the complaint alleges that he was only driving 55 miles per hour at the time of the crash, even though the vehicle can reach speeds greater than 200 mph. The complaint further alleges that the Porsche did not have a proper crash cage and safety features located in the gas tank that could have prevented the death of its occupants. The lawsuit claims that the suspension system in the vehicle failed, causing it to careen out of control and to hit a series of trees in Santa Clarita.

The lawsuit says that the Porsche had defects due to its manufacture, design, testing and components that rendered it unsafe to be used as it was made. The widow’s attorney says that he has retained experts to evaluate the evidence of the crash in an unbiased manner. The official investigation was conducted by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol with the aid of Porsche engineers. The result of the investigation was a finding that the vehicle was travelling at 94 mph at the time of the accident.

Individuals who have lost family members due to vehicle design or manufacturing defects may consider inquiring about their legal options. It may be possible to file lawsuits against vehicle manufacturers in pursuit of funeral expenses as well as any income that they lost. These types of lawsuits may only be filed by certain family members of the deceased.

Source: Lethbridge Herald, “Family of man driving sports car that crashed and killed Paul Walker sues Porsche”, May 12, 2014