Lawsuit highlights importance of unbiased investigations
One of the primary duties of a personal injury firm is to make sure that a proper investigation takes place after a fatal accident.
While federal, state or local officials often conduct investigations following serious accidents, it may be necessary for a separate investigation to take place in order to uncover all possible factors that played a role.
For example, months after a fatal car accident involving movie star Paul Walker and his friend, an official investigation concluded that excessive speed and not mechanical problems with the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT was to blame.
However, the investigation by state and local officials was aided by engineers from Porsche, which most people would agree represents a conflict of interest.
Luckily, a personal injury lawyer hired by Walker’s friend’s family commissioned top experts to conduct a separate investigation, which concluded that the sports car was only traveling at 55 mph when the crash occurred. The second investigation is being cited in a wrongful death lawsuit that was recently filed by the widow of Walker’s friend.
According to the lawsuit, the separate investigation concluded that design defects with the Porsche Carrera GT resulted in the fiery accident.
More specifically, the lawsuit says the vehicle’s suspension system caused the driver to control of the vehicle before it hopped a curb and ran into several trees and a light pole. The two men were killed within seconds after the car split and erupted into flames.
The lawsuit also alleges that the sports car did not have safety features or a proper crash cage that could have saved the lives of the two men inside. The lawsuit charges that the vehicle’s gas tank ruptured and caused fuel to leak into the engine compartment, which is likely what caused it to turn into a fiery inferno after the crash.
According to the lawsuit, the car “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 lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages from Porsche Cars North America.
Source: Associated Press, “Porsche sued over crash that killed Paul Walker,” May 13, 2014
