Daughter of Paul Walker received $10 million from driver of car in fatal wreck
The daughter of "The Fast and The Furious" star Paul Walker reached a $10.1-million settlement with the estate of the man driving the car her father died in three years ago, court records show.
The estate of Roger Rodas, a longtime friend of Walker's who was driving the Porsche Carrera GT the two men died in after a wild 2013 crash, agreed to place more than $7.2 million in a trust for Walker's teenage daughter, Meadow, according to terms of a settlement that was reached in November 2014.
Nearly $2.9 million was set aside for legal fees, records show.
Walker was on a break from filming the seventh installment in the "Furious" series when he and Rodas decided to drive away from a charity event in Valencia on Nov. 30, 2013. Investigators said the vehicle was traveling at least 90 mph when it smashed into several trees and a concrete light pole on Hercules Street. Both men died within seconds.
It was unclear why the terms of the settlement became public this week. Walker's name is not mentioned in the court filings. Meadow, who was a juvenile at the time the order for settlement was granted, is listed as "Meadow W." in the court filings.
Meadow Walker and Rodas' widow, Kristine, have filed wrongful death suits against Porsche, claiming various design flaws or mechanical failings led to the crash. Investigators with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol both ruled that speed was the main factor in the wreck, but the lawsuits contend the vehicle was traveling slower than police indicated.
A judge threw out Rodas' suit earlier this week. An attorney representing Meadow Walker said Friday that news of the settlement with Rodas should have no effect on her pending suit against Porsche.
"Through his estate, Mr. Rodas, the driver of the car, took partial responsibility for the crash, which Paul Walker would have survived," attorney Jeff Milam said in a statement. "Our lawsuit on behalf of Meadow against Porsche AG -- a $13-billion corporation -- intends to hold the company responsible for producing a vehicle that was defective and caused Paul Walker's death."
In a response filed last year, Porsche said Walker was responsible for his own death, claiming the vehicle was misused and improperly maintained.