Sept. 29--The teenage daughter of actor Paul Walker has filed a wrongful-death suit against Porsche AG, claiming defects in the car that the 40-year-old star of "The Fast and the Furious" franchise rode in when he was killed in a fiery crash nearly two years ago.
Meadow Walker, 16, alleges the German automobile manufacturer took safety shortcuts while loading up the Porsche Carrera GT with a 605-horsepower engine capable of up to 205 mph and marketing it as a race car licensed for the road.
According to the complaint, Porsche AG knew the Carrera GT had a history of instability but failed to install a control system that would have addressed such issues. It also installed the model's seat belts in such a way that when the car fractured on impact, the shoulder belt anchor was yanked along with the rear engine compartment as the seat belt anchor stayed put.
"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 force of the seat belt, the lawsuit alleges, broke Walker's clavicle, ribs and pelvis.
The widow of the driver who was also killed in the crash filed a similar lawsuit last year in federal court. In that case, Porsche denied any mechanical defects in the Carrera GT.
L.A. County sheriff's and California Highway Patrol reports show that investigators found unsafe speed and not mechanical problems to be responsible for the deadly crash. Investigators reached those conclusions after consulting with Porsche technicians.
In the lawsuit filed by Walker's daughter on Monday, Porsche is accused of trimming the vehicle's weight by installing side door reinforcement bars made up of a weaker material than is used in more common cars, such as the Honda Civic, and of using a fuel hose that lacked fittings that would break free if the car were in an accident. Instead, the hose tore and helped create a fire.
"The vehicle lacked safety features that are found on well-designed racing cars or even Porsche's least expensive road cars -- features that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash," the lawsuit said.
Meadow's attorney, Jeff Milam, released a statement that said his client filed the suit "with great reluctance" and will not be commenting on it.
"She's a teenage girl who is still dealing with the tragic loss of her father," the statement said.
Milam declined to speak outside of the statement, which added, "The bottom line is that the Porsche Carrera GT is a dangerous car. It doesn't belong on the street."
The suit also names Porsche Cars North America and Beverly Hills Porsche as defendants.
On Nov. 30, 2013, Walker attended a charity event for victims of Typhoon Haiyan at a Valencia motor sport company owned by his friend and financial advisor, Roger Rodas. Walker was on a break from filming "Furious 7," the latest installment of "The Fast and the Furious" franchise, and the fundraiser was through the charity he founded, Reach Out Worldwide.
Afterward, Rodas, got behind the wheel of his 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, which he had purchased off his lease just two weeks earlier.
Walker sat in the passenger seat.
Authorities believe the car was traveling at more than 90 mph before it slammed into trees and a concrete street light about 3:30 p.m. on Hercules Street in Santa Clarita. The lawsuit, however, says the vehicle was traveling between 63 to 71 mph when it suddenly went out of control.
Walker died within seconds of the crash from a combination of traumatic injuries and burns, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office. Rodas, 38, was killed on impact.
Meadow is Walker's only child and the sole heir to his estate, estimated to be worth about $25 million at the time of his death.
Earlier this month, on what would have been her father's 42nd birthday, Meadow announced on social media the launch of the Paul Walker Foundation, a nonprofit that will provide grants to those interested in marine science, a subject the actor was passionate about.
"Happy Birthday, I love you," she wrote that day on Instagram, posting a photo of herself as a toddler in her father's arms.
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