Paul Walker's father sues Porsche over son's fatal crash

Anthony McCartney | Associated Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Another of Paul Walker's family is suing Porsche Paul Walker's father is the second family member to sue Porsche for the negligence and wrongful death over the 2013 accident that killed the Fast & Furious star.

LOS ANGELES — Paul Walker's father sued Porsche for negligence and wrongful death Wednesday over the November 2013 accident that killed the Fast & Furious star.

Walker's father, who is the executor of his son's estate, filed the lawsuit claiming that the Porsche Carrera GT that his son was riding in lacked safety features that could have saved the actor's life.

The lawsuit cites features cited in other pending lawsuits against the automaker over the crash that might have been life-saving, including a stability control system, side-door reinforcements and a breakaway fuel line to help prevent the car from bursting into flames after a collision.

Walker was on a break from filming the seventh film in the Fast & Furious franchise when he was killed. He was riding in the Carrera GT driven by friend and business associate Roger Rodas when the car spun out of control, struck three trees and burst into flames on a street in Santa Clarita, Calif.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Rodas' widow, Kristine, who has a pending claim against Porsche in federal court, also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the carmaker in state court on Wednesday.

Walker's daughter and heir, Meadow Walker, 17, filed a similar wrongful death suit suit against Porsche in September, arguing that the car, marketed as a street-legal race car, lacked a proper stability control system and safeguards to protect occupants and keep it from catching fire after a collision.

An after-hours message sent to Porsche seeking comment was not immediately returned.

The car company has denied in other lawsuits, including the one filed by Meadow Walker, that it is responsible for Walker's death.

On Nov. 12, Porsche stated in a court filing that the Carrera GT had been altered and improperly maintained and those factors contributed to the deaths of Walker and Rodas.

Porsche denies negligence in Paul Walker's Death Porsche is refuting the claim that it's at fault for the crash that killed Paul Walker. The company blamed the driver, who police say was speeding. Video provided by Newsy

The company also called Walker "a knowledgeable and sophisticated user of the 2005 Carrera GT," Porsche's lawyers stated in response to the lawsuit by Meadow Walker.

Meadow Walker's attorney, Jeff Milam, criticized the filing, reiterating his claims that the car as sold was unsafe.

"If Porsche had designed the car to include proper safety features, Paul would have survived, he would be filming Fast & Furious 8, and Meadow Walker would have the father she adored," Milam wrote in a statement.

None of the cases have yet been set for trial.

Wednesday's lawsuit repeats a claim from Meadow Walker's case that the Porsche was traveling between 63 and 71 mph (101 to 114 kph) before it spun out of control.

Investigators concluded the Porsche was going much faster — up to 94 mph (151 kph) — when it crashed.

The investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol concluded that it was unsafe speed and not mechanical problems that caused the crash. That investigation was aided by engineers from Porsche, who evaluated the wreckage of the rare car.

Paul Walker co-owned an auto racing team with Rodas named Always Evolving. Meadow Walker, 17, is the sole heir of his estate, which is controlled by his father, Paul William Walker III.

Walker's two brothers helped complete action scenes in Furious 7, which earned more than $1.5 billion globally after it was released in April.