A fatal car accident is always devastating to the families of those involved. People suddenly have to find a way to deal with both the emotional trauma and, oftentimes, the financial repercussions of the accident. In these cases, people may have a lot of questions about why the accident occurred. With an investigation, they may uncover that a defective auto part was to blame for the crash.
Missouri residents may remember the tragic fatal car accident involving actor Paul Walker in November 2013. According to initial reports, the car that Walker was riding in as passenger was going between 80 and 93 miles-per-hour at the time of the accident.
Recently, Walker’s daughter has brought a wrongful death suit against Porsche, the car’s maker. She claims that Walker was not traveling nearly as fast as the initial reports say. Additionally, the suit says that medical reports claimed that he only suffered a broken pelvis and ribs in the initial impact. However, it took 80 seconds for a fire to start following the accident. The autopsy report showed that he was breathing when the fire broke out, as there was soot in his lungs. He was, therefore, burned alive after being trapped in the car.
The suit claims that Porsche knew that this particular car model was more prone to lose control. The suit says that it lacked a proper stabilization system which other models have been equipped with. The suit also alleges that there were defects with the car’s fuel line which caused the fire in the first place. It also questions the door reinforcements on the car.
If a negligent manufacturer is responsible for the death of a Missouri resident, compensation may be available. In these situations, the family of the fatal accident victim may be entitled to damages for losses they have suffered as a result of the accident.
Source: AskMen, “Paul Walker: Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Porsche By Daughter,” September 28, 2015