Porsche faces wrongful death suit after celebrity death

When a fatal car accident occurs, many people assume that one of the drivers was at fault. However, this is not always the case. Some motor vehicle accidents in Pittsburgh are caused by defects in the vehicle itself. In such cases, the victims’ families may file a wrongful death suit against the manufacturer of the vehicle.

About two years ago, movie fans all over the world were shocked and saddened by the death of “The Fast and the Furious” actor, Paul Walker. Walker was a passenger in a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT when the accident occurred. His friend and financial advisor owned the vehicle and was driving at the time of the accident. Both Walker and the driver were tragically killed.

Now, Walker’s 16-year-old daughter is filing a wrongful death suit against Porsche AG for alleged defects in the vehicle her father was riding in at the time of the accident.

The complaint alleges that Porsche did not add a control system to address the history of instability in its Carrera GT model. The seatbelts were poorly installed, thereby trapping Walker in the vehicle as it went up in flames. The complaint states that Porsche trimmed the weight of the vehicle by installing side door enforcement bars made of a weaker material than other cars use. Porsche representatives have yet to comment on the suit. However, in a suit filed by the driver’s wife last year, Porsche denied any mechanical defects in the vehicle.

The speed of the vehicle at the time of the accident is also an issue. Police reports show that unsafe speed, not mechanical problems, was responsible for the accident. Reports also say that the vehicle was traveling more than 90 mph at the time of the accident. This was determined after consulting with Porsche technicians. This lawsuit indicates that the speed was between 63 mph and 71 mph.

Wrongful death suits like this can help bring some financial stability to the family of the victim. In this case, it also brings attention to a car company and could possibly prevent future accidents by forcing change.

Source: Los Angeles Times, “Daughter of actor Paul Walker files wrongful-death suit against Porsche,” Corina Knoll, Sept. 28, 2015