The California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released a statement in March indicating that their findings in the accident that killed actor Paul Walker and race car driver Roger Rodas was caused by excessive speed. However, there were those who believed that there was another cause to the accident. After all, the Porsche Carrera GT that the two were riding in was reportedly known as a difficult car to handle. Because of this, it is not surprising that Porsche is facing a lawsuit as a result of the crash.
According to a recent LA Times report, the widow of Roger Rodas has initiated a wrongful death suit against the German high-performance automaker. The suit alleges that the car was essentially defective because it was not safe for its intended use. Specifically, the suit claims that a defect caused the right rear tire to steer to the left (ostensibly when it should have gone right) and that it caused the car to lose control, which ultimately led to the crash.
Products liability suits are based on the premise that manufacturers are legally obligated to ensure that the products they sell are safe for their intended uses. In the immediate case, the car was supposed to handle the road safely at high speeds. Since the alleged defect is believed to be the proximate cause of the crash and subsequent deaths, Rodas’ widow is seeking compensatory damages. If this can be proven, she could be entitled to future lost wages, and compensation based on loss on companionship and emotional distress.
Source: LA Times.com “Paul Walker crash: Driver’s widow sues Porsche, alleges design flaws,” Richard Winton, May 12, 2014