Porsche not responsible for Paul Walker crash
A judge presiding over a wrongful death lawsuit has ruled Porsche are not responsible for the death of Paul Walker and his friend Roger Rodas.
The 'Fast & Furious' star and his friend Roger Rodas were killed in November 2013 when the Porsche Carrera GT they were driving in crashed and burst into flames and a court has now rejected Rodas' widow, Kristine Rodas' wrongful death lawsuit, in which she claimed the car lacked crucial safety features that would have prevented the men's deaths.
US District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez ruled on Monday (04.04.16) that there was no evidence the Porsche's suspension failed before the crash or that the vehicle lacked a "properly functioning crash cage" and "fuel cell."
He also denied Kristine's claim that the company failed to warn drivers about the "substandard side impact protection."
The judge ruled Rodas' fatal injuries occurred when he and his passenger collided during the crash, which a crash cage wouldn't prevent, and noted the impact force came from the front of the vehicle.
He also declared there was "undisputed evidence" showing that Rodas died from fire resulting from racing fuel.
Kristine plans to appeal the decision, while a separate suit filed by Paul's daughter Meadow, 17, will still go ahead.
The teenager's attorney, Jeff Milan, said in a statement: "The issues in the cases are very different. The federal case was filed on behalf of Roger Rodas, who was the driver of the Porsche Carrera GT and was killed instantly upon impact.
"Meadow's father, Paul Walker, was a passenger in the car. He survived the crash but was trapped and burned to death because of the vehicle's defects.
"Meadow will continue to fight to hold Porsche accountable for selling a defective product that kills."
A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol investigation previously concluded that unsafe speed caused the crash as the vehicle was travelling at 94 mph when the posted speed limit was 45 mph.
