Actor Paul Walker’s father sues Porsche over fatal crash
In this April 29, 2011, file photo, actor Paul Walker poses during the photo call of the movie “Fast and Furious 5,” in Rome. Walker’s father sued Porsche on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015, for wrongful death, claiming the Porsche sports car he was riding in was defective and lacked safety features that might have saved his life during a 2013 crash in Valencia, California. AP FILE PHOTO
LOS ANGELES — Paul Walker’s father sued Porsche for negligence and wrongful death Wednesday over the 2013 accident that killed the “Fast & Furious” star.
Walker’s father, who is the executor of his son’s estate, filed the lawsuit claiming that the Porsche Carrera GT that his son was riding in lacked safety features that could have saved the actor’s life.
The lawsuit cites features included in other pending lawsuits against the automaker over the crash that might have saved the actor’s life, including a stability control system, side-door reinforcements and a breakaway fuel line to help prevent the car from bursting into flames after a collision.
READ: Paul Walker’s daughter sues Porsche, says father ‘burned alive’
Walker was on a break from filming the seventh film in the “Fast & Furious” franchise when he was killed. He was riding in the Carrera GT driven by friend and business associate Roger Rodas when the car spun out of control, struck three trees and burst into flames on a street in Santa Clarita, California.
Article continues after this advertisementThe lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Article continues after this advertisementRodas’ widow, Kristine, who has a pending claim against Porsche in federal court, also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the carmaker in state court on Wednesday.
An after-hours message sent to Porsche seeking comment was not immediately returned.
The car company has denied in other lawsuits, including one filed by the actor’s daughter, that it is responsible for Walker’s death.
On Nov. 12, Porsche stated in a court filing that the Carrera GT had been altered and improperly maintained and those factors contributed to the deaths of Walker and Rodas.
The company also called Walker “a knowledgeable and sophisticated user of the 2005 Carrera GT,” Porsche’s lawyers stated in response to the lawsuit by Meadow Walker, the actor’s daughter.
Meadow Walker’s attorney, Jeff Milam, criticized the filing, reiterating his claims that the car as sold was unsafe.
“If Porsche had designed the car to include proper safety features, Paul would have survived, he would be filming ‘Fast and Furious 8,’ and Meadow Walker would have the father she adored,” Milam wrote in a statement.
None of the cases have yet been set for trial.
Wednesday’s lawsuit repeats a claim from Meadow Walker’s case that the Porsche was traveling between 63 and 71 mph (101 to 114 kph) before it spun out of control.
Investigators concluded the Porsche was going much faster — up to 94 mph (151 kph) — when it crashed.
The investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol concluded that it was unsafe speed and not mechanical problems that caused the crash. That investigation was aided by engineers from Porsche, who evaluated the wreckage of the rare car.
Walker, the star of the “Fast & Furious” film franchise, co-owned an auto racing team with Rodas named Always Evolving. Meadow Walker, 17, is the sole heir of his estate, which is controlled by the actor’s father, Paul William Walker III.
Walker’s two brothers helped complete action scenes in “Furious 7,” which earned more than $1.5 billion globally after it was released in April.
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