Many Nebraska residents heard about the death of actor Paul Walker in a car crash in 2013. Walker and a friend were killed when the Porsche that his friend was driving went out of control. His daughter has filed a lawsuit against Porsche alleging that the car did not contain the safety features that would be expected on a car of this type.
The accident report says that the car may have been going more than 94 mph when it crashed, but the lawsuit says it was only traveling at 63 to 71 mph. The cause of the accident was found to be excessive speed. However, according to the lawsuit, the accident might not have been fatal had the car contained a stabilization sensor that is typical on cars of this type. Furthermore, the seat belt design may have trapped Walker and the driver in the car. The car caught on fire about one minute and 20 seconds after the crash.
According to the lawsuit, the Carrera GT had known stability and control issues. On similar cars, Porsche had included safety features that the Carrera did not have. Furthermore, the lawsuit says the car should have had better side-door reinforcements and fuel line protection. Despite the driver’s speed, the lawsuit argues that Porsche bears some responsibility. Even professional drivers considered the car difficult to handle.
A person may be seriously injured in a car accident like this one and suffer economic losses as a result of both medical expenses and being unable to work. In some cases, the responsibility for the accident may be unclear or may be shared by multiple parties. If a car is unsafe and does not contain safety features that could make an accident more survivable, the manufacturer might be liable even if the driver is partially at fault.
