Paul Walker’s daughter sues Porsche over fatal car crash

Meadow Walker’s suit claims father burned to death because of seat belt and car design flaws

Paul Walker died in 2013 (Getty Images)

Paul Walker’s daughter is suing Porsche over her father’s death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in a burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt.

The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames.

Lawyers acting for Meadow, 16, claim Walker was alive in the vehicle when it caught fire. The suit, obtained by TMZ, claims the seat belt he was wearing “snapped Walker's torso back with thousands of pounds of force, thereby breaking his ribs and pelvis”.

The suit alleges the fire did not break out for over one minute, but Walker was trapped in a "supine position". The car, it adds, lacked proper reinforcements in its doors and used rubber fuel lines that did not break free to prevent a fire in a crash.

“Absent these defects in the Porsche Carrera GT, Paul Walker would be alive today,” it states.

It also claims Rodas was driving between 63 and 71 mph when the vehicle veered out control - not over 90 mph, the speed determined by investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol. The investigators concluded there were no mechanical problems with the vehicle that could have caused the crash.

Mr Rodas' widow has also launched a suit alleging design and safety defects which is currently pending in a Los Angeles court.

Walker’s father Paul Walker II said his son was planning on taking a break from Hollywood in order to spend more time with his daughter, the sole heir of his estate.

He said: “He was so proud of her, she is incredibly intelligent and beautiful, and Paul wanted to be there for her as she grew up.

“In fact, he would've swapped his Hollywood fame for the quiet life with Meadow. Paul wasn't big on fame and preferred to live modestly.”

A spokesperson for Porsche told The Independent: “We have not seen the lawsuit and therefore cannot comment on its specifics. As we have said before, we are very sad whoever anyone is hurt in a Porsche vehicle, but we believe the authorities’ reports in this case clearly establish that this tragic crash resulted from reckless and excessive speeding.”