The 40 year old star of the six “Fast & Furious” movies, Paul Walker, tragically died on Saturday afternoon in a Los Angeles suburb. He was riding in a race car, a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, driven by his business partner. Roger Rodas, a high wealth investment adviser from El Salvador who owned a Porsche dealership and raced cars, inexplicably crashed into a utility pole at a high rate of speed. The car exploded upon impact.
Rodas and Walker had just left an event where they were raising money for the victims of the typhoon that hit the Phillippines.
The irony is stunning. Two race car drivers killed in a one car accident on a city street. But these wrecks are more common than you might think, causing 65% of the fatalities in automobile accidents.
Why are there so many? Obviously many are caused by drunk or stoned drivers. Others result from one or more of the following unsafe behavior: texting while driving, speeding, failing to use seat belts. Occasionally a driver crashes trying to avoid another wreck on the road and overcorrects but the clear majority of these collisions are obviously avoidable.
The Porsche needed to be driven slower on city streets, if at all, as it was extremely difficult to handle. The speed limit in the residential area was 45 miles per hour.The super car was powered by an enormous V-10, 610-hp engine and sold for $450,000.00 new. The Porsche was reported to have been driven at an excessive speed.
The facts have not been fully reported. It is now being said that the Porsche might have been racing another car. Another rumor is that the steering fluid may have leaked, causing the car to crash. If the driver, who also died, was at fault, Walker’s family has a cause of action against the driver’s estate. Walker left behind a 15 year old daughter who he was finally living with after many years apart from her.
I obviously hope that this hasn’t happened, but If your spouse, parent or child has been killed due to the someone else’s negligence, you have the right to seek damages.
Under Texas law, the surviving spouse, children and parents of a wrongful death victim have the right to bring a suit against the person or entity responsible for the death. This right is granted where the deceased would have had the right to bring the cause of action himself, had he not passed away. This statute can be found in the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 71. There is a three month window for the surviving spouse and children to file a wrongful death suit. After that, the executor of the estate can suit on behalf of the beneficiaries. A two year statute of limitations applies.
At The Law Offices of William K. Berenson, we understand that the loss of a loved one is unimaginable. We have helped numerous families and the estates of victims recover from the loss of a loved one since 1980. The initial consultation is always free, and you never will have to pay us one dime unless we make a recovery on your behalf. Email us or call us now if we can help at 917-885-8000 or toll-free at 1-888-801-8585.