The widow of the driver that died along with actor Paul Walker in a fiery crash has announced that she has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche due to it's faulty design and suspension, as reported by the Los Angeles Times and several other media outlets.
Famed lawyer Mark Geragos is representing widow Kristine Rodas, whose husband, former racecar driver Roger Rodas, piloted the Porsche Carrera GT. The suit alleges that Rodas drove no faster than 55 miles per hour at the time of the crash, and not the 90 miles per hour reported by the authorities.
Both Rodas and Walker were killed in the crash and the site, in a Santa Clarita business park, quickly became populated with fans expressing their grief with flowers and a makeshift mural.
In the lawsuit Geragos wrote that the $500,000 car "malfunctioned" during the crash. The right rear tire, according to the suit, suddenly steered to the left, continued clockwise and then went up a curb, hit a tree, a light pole, and a second tree before hitting a third tree, splitting in two and erupting into flames.
Porsche describes the Carrera GT as "close to a race car as we will ever get" with a lightweight construction and 605 horsepower. However, Geragos stated that the near-racecar fails to have a crash cage and other safety features in its gas tank – features that could have saved Rodas and Walker.
The fuel tank ruptured during the crash and fuel was spilled into the engine compartment, according to the suit.
The suit states, "The Carrera GT was unsafe for its intended use by reason of defects in its manufacture, design, testing, component and constituents, so that it would not safely serve its purpose."
The suit seeks unspecified damages.
Both the CHP and sheriffs concluded, after consulting with technicians at Porsche, that the crash occurred due to the driver's speed being unsafe – and that no mechanical issues played a part.
Jay Leno, host of the Tonight Show, has driven the same model Porsche. Leno liked the engine and gearbox but commented that driving the vehicle was "like driving on ice" as he himself had spun out when the speed neared 190 mph.
This is not the first lawsuit against Porsche Cars North America. In 2005 two men died when they swerved into a wall at the California Speedway. Porsche paid 8% of a $4.5 million settlement, with the larger part of the award paid by the owner of the track and by the estate of the deceased driver.
Porsche settled the case without admitting any wrongdoing and contends that their vehicle is safe. The attorney representing the widow in the case said that the Porsche Carrera GT is "a fairly stripped-down car designed for the race track."
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