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Meadow Walker claimed in the complaint that the automaker
skimped on safety features for the vehicle, which could have
either prevented the crash entirely or at least kept Walker
alive.
Paul Walker was a passenger in the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT
driven by Roger Rodas, who lost control of the vehicle before it
careened into trees and a utility pole in Santa Clarita,
northwest of Los Angeles, killing both men in November 2013.
The suit said Porsche AG <PSHG_p.DE> knew the car model had a
"history of instability and control issues" and added that the
seat belts were designed such that in a crash, the shoulder belt
anchor would be pulled along with the rear engine compartment
while the seat anchor would remain in place.
"This snapped Walker's torso back with thousands of pounds of
force, thereby breaking his ribs and pelvis, flattening his seat
and trapping him in a supine position, where he remained alive
until the vehicle erupted into flames one minute and twenty
seconds later," the filing said.
"Absent these defects in the Porsche Carrera GT, Paul Walker
would be alive today," the complaint added, citing the seat belt
design and other issues.
Porsche could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.
But attorneys for the German car company said in April that
Rodas was to blame for the crash following a lawsuit filed by
his widow against the company's North American unit last year.
Attorneys for the company had then denied that the car had any
defects.
Walker's death at the age of 40 led to a temporary halt in
production of "Fast & Furious 7", the latest movie in the
successful series about illegal street racing that helped
popularize his career.
The Los Angeles Times has reported that the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol found that
unsafe speeds were to blame for the crash, not mechanical
problems. The newspaper said investigators made the
determination after consulting with technicians from Porsche.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Additional
reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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