Porsche Fires Back at Paul Walker Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The wreckage from Paul Walker’s fatal car crash. (Photo: Splash News; inset, Getty Images)
Porsche has responded to Meadow Walker after the 16-year-old daughter of the late Paul Walker sued the auto manufacturer for negligence and wrongful death in September.
In court documents filed on Nov. 12, the auto manufacturer says the actor was responsible for his own death. The Fast and Furious star died on Nov. 30, 2013 after he and his friend, Roger Rodas, crashed in Rodas’s 2005 Porsche Carrera GT.
“PCNA alleges that Mr. Walker knowingly and voluntarily assumed all risk, perils, and danger in respect to the use of the subject 2005 Carrera GT, that the perils, risks and dangers were open and obvious and known to him, and that he chose to conduct himself in a manner so as to expose himself to such perils, dangers and risks, thus assuming all the risks involved in using the vehicle,” the court documents read. “Mr. Walker’s death, and all other injuries or damages claimed, were the result of Mr. Walker’s own comparative fault.”
WATCH: Paul Walker’s Dad Shares Touching, Emotional Memories of His Late Son
The car company also says that the car was “altered,” as well as “misused and improperly maintained.”
“That misuse or improper maintenance proximately caused or contributed to the incident and to Mr. Walker’s death,” the documents continue.
Walker’s only child’s lawsuit against the auto manufacturer claims that her father “survived the physical forces of the collision,” but that it was ultimately design flaws that caused the late actor to become trapped in the car during an automobile fire.
“It is with great reluctance that Meadow Walker has authorized the filing of this lawsuit on her own behalf and as heir to Paul Walker’s estate,” Jeff Milam, Meadow’s lawyer, said in a statement to ET in late September. “She’s a teenage girl who is still dealing with the tragic loss of her father.”
The attorney for the Rodas family also provided a statement to ET.
“The Walker family, like the Rodas family, would not have to grieve their loss if Porsche hadn’t put a faulty product on the road,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, Porsche maintained that “reckless driving” and “excessive speed” were the cause of the crash.
“As we have 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,” the company told ET in a statement in September.
In March 2014, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department concluded in a report that the fatal crash was due to speed and 9-year-old tires. According to the report, the car was traveling 93 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone when it spun out of control, hitting the sidewalk then later a tree and light post. Both Walker and Rodas were killed almost instantly.
WATCH: Why Michelle Rodriguez Went ‘Pretty Crazy’ After Paul Walker’s Death
In September, Meadow shared a touching tribute to her late father for what would have been his 42nd birthday, and announced the official launch of the Paul Walker Foundation.
“Reflecting on my father, I found myself reflecting on his passions,” Meadow wrote. “His passion for the ocean, his passion for rescuing animals, his passion for helping people and his passion for spontaneous goodwill. I wanted to start this foundation because I want to share that piece of him with the world. I want to share that part of him with others.”
Related Articles