A judge has ruled that Porsche is not at fault in the fatal crash involving the late Fast & the Furious actor, Paul Walker, Associated Press reports. A lack of evidence to prove claims filed by Kristine Rodas – wife of late Roger Rodas, the driver of the ill-fated Porsche Carrera GT – was cited.
There was not enough evidence to prove claims that Rodas’ husband died because the Carrera GT had inadequate safety features, ruled US district judge, Philip S. Gutierrez. There was also no evidence to prove that the car’s suspension failed before the crash, Gutierrez stated.
Kristine Rodas alleged in her lawsuit, that the car lacked a roll cage and a fuel cell. “Plaintiff has provided no competent evidence that Rodas’ death occurred as a result of any wrongdoing on the part of defendant,” the judge wrote. Mark Geragos, attorney to Kristine Rodas said however, that the ruling will be appealed.
Elsewhere, Gutierrez faulted Rodas’ expert for relying on an analysis of tyre marks taken one and a half months after the crash took place, instead of photos that investigators took at the scene of the incident.
Despite the outcome, the ruling has no relevance to two other cases filed by Walker’s father and 16-year-old daughter (Meadow Walker) against Porsche. Both cases are still pending in the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Porsche has denied any malpractice in the design, manufacture or marketing of the Carrera GT. The company however has challenged the lawsuit, filed by Walker’s daughter, stating that the car had been altered and improperly maintained – factors that contributed to the crash. Engineers from Porsche helped with investigations, by evaluating the wreckage of the vehicle.
An investigation conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol concluded that speed, and not mechanical issues, led to the crash. All cases brought forward against Porsche argued that the Carrera GT was travelling at a much slower speed, about 100-115 km/h, instead of 130-150 km/h as reported by investigators.
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Uhh the fact that they were doing hard acceleration & breaking the speed limit in an urban area kinda proves it was their fault for driving recklessly.
Just bad driver
Ni semua salah gomen n poton.
Ok…not 130-150km…just 100km and u bang something still leads to the same result.
Sensible decision by the judge. A Porsche designed for high speed doesn’t mean it should be driven more than the speed limit. Not to mention that the particular Porsche had a poorly maintained tires to begin with…
The Carrera GT was known for its tricky handling and required some serious driving skills. Those who bought it knew what they were getting into. Just because you can own one, doesn’t mean you can fully exploit its performance.
Using aexpire 6 years old tyres still blame car maker?
At least two of the tires were more than nine years old… Porsche recommends that tires be replaced after four years.
Correct decision by the judge. If the suit goes through anybody can sue the car manufacturer for the death of a family member on the basis that the manufacturer did not put enough safety features in. Since there is no way to satisfy everybody car manufacturers may as well close shop.