For nearly 15 years, the Fast & Furious movie franchise has produced a consistent string of blockbuster hits due to their action packed storylines, breathtaking scenes and stellar castings.
However, in November 2013, the movie series and its fans lost a lead actor, Paul Walker, after he was involved in a high-speed crash in his limited-edition 2005 Porsche Carrera GT.
On the 28th of September this year, Walker’s daughter, Meadow, filed a lawsuit against the Porsche Cars North American (PCNA) for the wrongful death of her father, and now, Porsche have responded with their answer.
The car manufacturer are now seeking to dismiss the lawsuit, as they are claiming the vehicle in question had been “abused and altered”, as well as “misused and improperly maintained”.
Altogether, within their seven page filing, they are claiming that passenger Paul Walker, and driver, Roger Rodas, were fully aware of the risks upon entering the car, and their deaths are essentially down to their “own comparative fault”.
The crash occurred when the friends left together at 3:30am after an event for Walker’s own charity Reach Out Worldwide for victims of Typhoon Haiyan. Their car then collided with a lamppost in a 45mph zone on a Californian street, with security cameras later discovering that the car must have been travelling around 90-100mph.
Porsche claimed;
“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, risk and danger 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. Mr Walker’s voluntary assumption of the risk should bar the plaintiff’s recovery or, in the alternative, should reduce the plaintiff’s right to recovery from PCNA in an amount equivalent to Mr Walker’s fault.”
This is a contrast to Meadow Walker’s suit, in which she accused the Volkswagen-owned car maker of knowing that the car had “history of instability and control issues”.
She is also contesting the police reports that suggest the Carrera GT was travelling at around 90-100mph upon colliding with the lamppost, arguing that the top speed reached by the vehicle was in fact just 71mph.
Paul Walker was 40 years old when he died, and was only part of the way through the filming of Fast & Furious 7. After his death, filming was delayed, rewrites were made, and the movie was eventually completed using the actor’s brothers, Caleb and Cody, as stand-ins.
You have to believe that no matter how tragic Paul and Roger’s deaths were, Meadow will struggle to win this lawsuit, based on the speed Roger was travelling at. Along with Walker’s incredible legacy he left behind in Hollywood, his final moments are a also lesson for anyone who ever considers dangerous driving; it’s simply not worth the risk.