Porsche is not liable for the lethal car crash that killed Paul Walker and his racing friend Roger Rodas in November of 2013. A judge has officially thrown out a wrongful death/product liability lawsuit filed by Rodas’ widow in California.
The judge ruled it was nothing but speculation that any alleged design defects in the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT was responsible for the deadly inferno that was caused by the devastating impact the Porsche made when it crashed into a light pole at high speeds.
Kristine Rodas had alleged that 4 specific defects existed but the judge entertained none of the allegations. Rodas further claimed that the passenger compartment wasn’t sturdy enough to withstand a jarring impact. But the judge proclaimed that Roger Rodas’ fatal injuries occurred when he was hurled violently into Paul Walker.
Kristine Rodas also claimed that the Porsche was not built to withstand a side impact. The judge quoted Kristine Rosas’ own expert against her case when he said the fatal force came from the front — after colliding with a light pole — and not from a side impact.
The judge also shot down the claim that the fuel cell was somehow compromised, which the suit alleged had sparked a fire. The judge concluded the subsequent blaze was not the cause of Rodas’ death, but an unsavory aftermath of a horrific car wreck.
The final claim in the suit alleged that something had failed in the car’s suspension, leading to loss of control of the vehicle at high speeds. But the judge refused to honor that claim as he deemed evidence was insufficient.
Paul’s daughter, Meadow Walker, has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche in regard to her father’s tragic death. No ruling has arrived from that particular suit as of yet, but if the Rodas suit is any indication of what will happen, the young Meadow Walker will not like the outcome.
