Paul Walker’s Daughter Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Porsche
18-year-old Meadow Walker reached an agreement with the carmaker on October 16th.
The aftershocks of the crash that shook the car world are starting to settle. Paul Walker's daughter Meadow reached a settlement with Porsche earlier this month in a lawsuit that alleged the German carmaker was partially responsible for her father's death in 2013 after the Carrera GT he was riding in crashed and caught fire.
According to documents obtained by the website The Blast, 18-year-old Meadow Walker reached a resolution with Porsche on October 16th. The details of the settlement are confidential, but both Walker's daughter and the carmaker have asked to have the wrongful death case against Porsche dismissed. The documents also reportedly state that Walker's father, also named Paul, has settled a separate lawsuit against the automaker.
In the suit against Porsche, filed in September 2015, Meadow Walker's attorneys claimed the Carrera GT suffered from design defects such as "instability and control issues," and that he was severely injured by the seatbelt in the accident, which may have left him unable to extricate himself from the crash. Porsche, however, refuted any responsibility, claiming the 40-year-old Walker "chose to conduct himself in a manner so as to expose himself to such perils, dangers and risks" as occurred.
Last year, a U.S. district judge cleared Porsche of any wrongdoing in the November 30th, 2013 accident that killed both Walker and the Carrera GT's driver, Roger Rodas, in a suit brought against the carmaker by Rodas's widow Kristine. In that case, Judge Philip Gutierrez rejected claims that the Porsche had suffered a mechanical failure, writing, "[the] plaintiff has provided no competent evidence that Rodas’ death occurred as a result of any wrongdoing on the part of defendant.”
An inquiry conducted by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol after the crash suggested excessive speed may have been the cause of the accident, in which the Carrera GT spun out of control on a street and crashed into a pair of trees and a concrete lamp post, then caught fire. Investigators said the car was likely traveling at speeds of between 80 and 93 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone; they also suggested the nine-year-old tires the car was wearing could have been a factor in the wreck.
Last year, Meadow Walker was awarded a settlement of $10.1 million from Rodas's estate.
