Paul Walker's daughter gets $10.1 mln settlement in actor's death

The 17-year-old daughter of late actor Paul Walker has reached a $10.1 million settlement with the estate of the man driving the car that crashed and killed them both in 2013, her attorney said on Friday.

Walker was a passenger in a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT driven by Roger Rodas when the car, traveling at speeds of 80 to 93 miles per hour (129 to 150 kilometers per hour), careened into trees and a utility pole in Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles.

Meadow Walker's attorney, Jeff Milam, said in a statement that the settlement would go into a trust for the teen.

The settlement, reached in November 2014, went unnoticed for nearly a year and half because it was filed under "Meadow W.", according to celebrity news website TMZ, which first reported the story.

According to Milam's statement, Rodas was only partially responsible for the crash, and the settlement covers a "fraction of what her father would have earned as an international movie star had his life not been tragically cut short."

Attorneys for Rodas' estate could not immediately be reached for comment.

Walker's death at age 40 led to a lull in production of "Furious 7," the latest movie in the mega-hit action series about illegal street racing that propelled his career.

The 2015 film grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide, making it among the highest-earning films of all time.

Milam said the actor's daughter was continuing her lawsuit against Porsche AG and that she "intends to hold the company responsible for producing a vehicle that was defective and caused Paul Walker's death."

Meadow Walker, the actor's only child and sole heir, filed the complaint against the German automaker last September, accusing it of skimping on safety features that could have prevented the crash or at least kept him alive.

Porsche has maintained that the actor was responsible for his own death. After a four-month investigation, Los Angeles officials said the crash was caused by excessive speed, not mechanical failure.

Milam said Paul Walker survived the impact of the crash, but "burned to death because of Porsche's defective design."

A federal judge presiding over a similar lawsuit filed by Rodas' estate against Porsche in Los Angeles ruled in favor of the car company on Monday, saying: "Plaintiff has provided no competent evidence that Rodas' death occurred as a result of any wrongdoing on the part of Defendant."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Paul Walker's daughter sues Porsche

The daughter of late actor Paul Walker, who died in the fiery crash of a Porsche sports car in California two years ago, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the car company in Los Angeles on Monday, court records show.

Meadow Walker claimed in the complaint that the automaker skimped on safety features for the vehicle, which could have either prevented the crash entirely or at least kept Walker alive.

Paul Walker was a passenger in the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT driven by Roger Rodas, who lost control of the vehicle before it careened into trees and a utility pole in Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles, killing both men in November 2013.

The suit said Porsche AG (PSHG_p.DE) knew the car model had a "history of instability and control issues" and added that the seat belts were designed such that in a crash, the shoulder belt anchor would be pulled along with the rear engine compartment while the seat anchor would remain in place.

"This snapped Walker's torso back with thousands of pounds of force, thereby breaking his ribs and pelvis, flattening his seat and trapping him in a supine position, where he remained alive until the vehicle erupted into flames one minute and twenty seconds later," the filing said.

"Absent these defects in the Porsche Carrera GT, Paul Walker would be alive today," the complaint added, citing the seat belt design and other issues.

Porsche could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday. But attorneys for the German car company said in April that Rodas was to blame for the crash following a lawsuit filed by his widow against the company's North American unit last year.

Attorneys for the company had then denied that the car had any defects.

Walker's death at the age of 40 led to a temporary halt in production of "Fast & Furious 7", the latest movie in the successful series about illegal street racing that helped popularize his career.

The Los Angeles Times has reported that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol found that unsafe speeds were to blame for the crash, not mechanical problems. The newspaper said investigators made the determination after consulting with technicians from Porsche.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: Adrenaline overload in 'Furious 7'

"Furious 7" follows the same adrenaline rush formula that fueled the first six film in the franchise to box-office success. The barely-there story just functions to string together some of the most memorable and impossibly spectacular stunts involving the most muscular cars ever captured on film. As the stunts get more and more complex and incredible, there is a dramatic real-life twist that would challenge the filmmakers further for this seventh installment, and that is the death of star Paul Walker in, as fate would have it, a race car accident. How they deal with Walker's death in the film will be a matter of curiosity among fans of this franchise.

The plot here follows right from FF6. Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), a Black-Ops savvy brother of a former fallen enemy, is out for revenge big time. Striking a deal with a secret government agent code-named Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his posse rescues Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), a hacker who had been kidnapped by Jakande (Djimon Hounsou), a terrorist with military-grade firepower. Ramsey had developed God's Eye, a powerful tracking system which can use all available digital devices around to locate any subject.

On the action front, this film is on adrenaline overload as the gang goes from Los Angeles and Tokyo, to Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi. The cars here don't only look great, they also do the most amazing things. I'm sure it was really very hard to top the already over-the-top stunts we saw in FF6, but the insane stunts we see here in FF7 could definitely match them. Cars jumping out of planes ( a major stunt dubbed "air drop"), cars hurtling down cliffs, cars jumping from skyscraper to skyscraper -- they have got it all here!

With Jason Statham there in the mix as the main antagonist, there would not be a dearth of heart-stopping, bone-crunching mano-a-mano fights. Right off the bat, Statham would engage Dwayne Johnson in a hard-hitting brawl that destroys an entire office. Of course, there will also be a climactic Aston Martin-smashing face-off with Vin Diesel himself at the end. Paul Walker had his own breathtaking fight inside a moving van against Thai martial arts star Tony Jaa. Michele Rodriguez had her dynamic fight scene in full evening gown regalia vs. MMA star Ronda Rousey in an elegant penthouse suite.

The FF series is as much about family as it about action, and this is not forgotten here. Toretto is dealing with the amnesia suffered by his wife, Letty. Walker's character, Brian, is trying to quietly settle down as a family man with Dom's sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster).The much-anticipated final send-off and goodbye to Paul Walker was touching yet very manly.

Director James Wan takes a break from his horror films and successfully orchestrates these visually spectacular out-of-this world vehicular stunts with his crew. They were also able to give Paul Walker a fitting and dignified farewell. The scenes where Paul's real life brothers Caleb and Cody stand-in for him were not obvious as the editing was very well done.

Of course, they made Toretto and company virtually superheroes the way they can emerge from all those incredibly dangerous situations unscathed. It does seem absurd, but isn't this really how fans consider them? The "humor" of Tyrese Gibson's character Roman can be groan-inducing, especially in that party scene, but I'd say it's tolerable.

Overall, I would say that this particular installment of the FF series definitely achieved what it set out to do. This is a very entertaining film indeed. The Lykan HyperSport and Nathalie Emmanuel look fantastic. When put side by side with the other FF films I've seen, though, I think Fast 5 and FF 6 were still better than this. 7/10.





This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Paul Walker dominates Google PH 2013 searches

MANILA – The late American actor Paul Walker dominated this year’s online searches in the country, according to Google Philippines.

Walker ranked first in four categories, including top overall searches, in Google Philippines’ “zeitgeist” or collection of search queries for 2013.

The actor, who died in a car crash last November 30, also topped the search engine giant’s list of top news, newsmakers and people for the year.

Several fans, including Filipinos, paid tribute to the actor on various social media sites hours after finding out about his death.

Local personalities who figured prominently in Google Philippines’ zeitgeist this year include actress Neri Naig, who was involved in a sex scandal with singer Chito Miranda; EB Babe member Yosh, who was also part of a leaked sex video with comedian Wally Bayola; beauty queen Ariella Arida, who won third runner-up in the Miss Universe 2013 pageant; Megan Young, the Philippines’ first Miss World 2013 titlist; Freddie Aguilar, the 60-year-old singer who tied the knot with a 16-year-old girl; Krista Miller, who was allegedly in a relationship with actor Cesar Montano, who is married; and Alyssa Quijano, the girlfriend of singer Charice.

“Zeitgeist is a tool in discovering the pulse of the people through searches made on Google. With the growing percentage of population going online, Zeitgeist becomes reflective of the issues and topics we’re interested in. This year’s list speak a lot about our concern for national achievement and progress, while at the same time our curiosity in pop culture issues,” Gail Tan, Google Philippines country communications manager, said in a statement.

Here are some of Google Philippines’ top searches for the year:

Top overall

Paul Walker
Samsung Galaxy S4
Movies 2013
Onehitcf
Camera 360
PAL Express
Neri Naig
Miss Universe 2013
EB Babe Yosh
iPhone 5s

News

Paul Walker death
Miss Universe 2013
Pork barrel
FIBA Asia 2013
Election results 2013
SONA 2013
UAAP Season 76
Typhoon Yolanda
Wimbledon 2013
Nelson Mandela death

Newsmakers

Paul Walker
Cory Monteith
Ariella Arida
Pope Francis
Megan Young
Devina Dediva
Nancy Binay
Janet Napoles
Gilas Pilipinas
Nelson Mandela

People

Paul Walker
Neri Naig
EB Babe Yosh
Cory Monteith
Wally Bayola
Ariella Arida
Kevin Ware
Pope Francis
Chito Miranda
Megan Young

Local celebrities

Neri Naig
EB Babe Yosh
Wally Bayola
Ariella Arida
Chito Miranda
Megan Young
Freddie Aguilar girlfriend
Totoy Brown
Krista Miller
Alyssa Quijano

TV shows

The Voice of the Philippines
Got to Believe
Queen and I
Missing You
Juan dela Cruz
Maria Mercedes
Wowowillie
The Innocent Man
The Heirs
ANTM Cycle 20

Movies

Pacific Rim
Despicable Me 2
World War 2
Insidious 2
Warm Bodies
Beautiful Creatures
After Earth
Silver Linings Playbook
Pitch Perfect
The Croods

Music

Harlem Shake
Gentleman
Titanium
Lord Patawad
Magkabilang Mundo
Gwiyomi
Chinito
Heart Attack
Wrecking Ball
Daylight

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Filipino racers in US recall Paul Walker's kindness

SANTA CLARITA, California - It was a day of mourning in Santa Clarita, as thousands visited the site of where movie star Paul Walker and his friend Roger Rodas died from a car crash last week.

There was a "Fast & Furious" viewing, a motorcade and a car show featuring cars from the hit film series.

Filipinos were among the thousands who paid tribute to Walker, who earned a cult following for his role in the "Fast & Furious" films.

"We're movie fans. We stopped by pay tribute and homage (to Walker)," Noel del Barrio of Montclair said.

"Paul walker had a big impact... So we're just paying our respects," Leighton Villanueva of Lancaster said.

Some Filipino racers, who met Walker at the race tracks, say the actor lived the life he depicted on the big screen.

"I raced with Paul Walker a few years back. We actually shared track time. We'd see each other every so often on the track," Marlon Daraco of San Diego said.

Daraco recalled that whenever Walker was at the tracks, he would come by the pits and talk with them.

Despite being a Hollywood star, they said Walker was down-to-earth.

"I met him. He's a real cool dude, he's a nice guy. It's sad he had to go out that way," Jerwin Sanchez of San Diego said.

Walker was attending a Philippine typhoon relief event held by his non-profit organization Reach Out Worldwide, when the Porsche he was riding in, driven by friend and business partner Rodas crashed into this tree and burst into flames.

Countless candles and tributes have collected on the sidewalk since the fatal accident. Just days before his untimely death, he released a video message rallying help for typhoon Yolanda victims.

"It feels good that he raised awareness and decided to try to help us out. It kills me that he's gone but I know he's in a better place," Daraco said.

A Filipno couple said their charity organization plans on honoring Walker by naming a village in his honor.

"The Gawad Kalinga leaders responded very well and would like to build a legacy village for Paul Walker to honor him because Paul Walker died after raising funds for the victims of typhoon Yolanda," Luzvaminda Macbalo from Las Vegas said.

As police continue investigating the fatal crash, close friends and family are still planning a "special" funeral for the 40-year-old actor.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Speed a factor in crash that killed Paul Walker

LOS ANGELES -- Speed played a role in the one-car crash that killed "The Fast and the Furious" actor Paul Walker in Southern California on Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

Walker, 40, was a passenger in the red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames in the city of Santa Clarita on Saturday afternoon.

"Speed was a factor in the solo vehicle collision," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.

Deputy Mark Pope said the accident was under investigation and he did not know how fast the car was going.

The Los Angeles Times identified the driver as Roger Rodas, 38, a friend of Walker's who owned Always Evolving, an auto dealership and racing services company.

The sheriff's department would not confirm that. The company could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

In a message on its Facebook page, the company posted a message that said, "Thank you all for your condolences and prayers while we mourn the loss of our loved ones."

The blond-haired, blue-eyed Walker was in five of the six "The Fast and the Furious" films about illegal street racing and heists. A seventh installment was in development, according to Universal, the studio behind the franchise.

Walker played law enforcement official Brian O'Conner in the movie series.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Fast and Furious' star Walker killed in car crash

American actor Paul Walker, best known for his roles in the "Fast and the Furious" action movies, died on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) in a car crash in Southern California, his publicist said.

Walker, 40, who was in five of the six films about illegal street racing and heists, was a passenger in a friend's car and was attending a charity event, according to a message linked to his Twitter account.

"Sadly, I must confirm that Paul did pass away this afternoon in a car accident," Ame Van Iden, Walker's publicist, said in an email.




The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement that two people were killed in a car accident in Valencia, a community in the city of Santa Clarita, at about 3:30 p.m.

Deputies arriving at the scene found the vehicle engulfed in flames. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said. The office did not provide the identities of the dead, and said the cause was under investigation.

In the "Fast and Furious" pictures, the blond-haired, blue-eyed actor played Brian O'Conner, a law enforcement official.

The first movie in the series, which stars Vin Diesel, was released in 2001, and a seventh was in development at the time of his death, Universal, the studio behind the franchise, said in a statement. The most recent film, released in May, was one of this year's biggest box office hits.

"Brother I will miss you very much," Diesel said in a post on Instagram, adding: "I am absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace."

According to the IMDb.com movie website, Paul William Walker IV was born in Glendale, California, in 1973 and began acting at a very young age, appearing in many commercials. He played Professor Bennet in the 1987 movie "Monster in the Closet" and starred in the television series "Throb," IMDb said.

Walker also made guest appearances on television shows, including "Charles in Charge" and "Who's the Boss?" and had a role in the soap opera, "The Young and the Restless."

Other film appearances include "Timeline," "Into the Blue," "The Lazarus Project" and "Hours," which is slated for release in December.

According to IMDb, Walker has a daughter named Meadow.

Universal conveyed its condolences to Walker's family, saying, "All of us at Universal are heartbroken.

"Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the Fast and Furious films, and to countless fans."

More tributes flowed on social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

"So sad. He gave a lot of joy," wrote James Franco, while model/actor Tyson Beckford posted "Tyson Beckford: RIP Paul Walker, loved working with you on "Into the Blue."

Television host Carson Daly said that he was "Sick about the tragic loss of #PaulWalker. I enjoyed our time together very much. Such a really nice guy," while actress Alyssa Milano, current host of "Project Runway All Stars," protested "No. No. No" before adding "Rest with the angels."

Celebrity website TMZ first reported that Walker and another person was killed after the Porsche GT they were riding lost control and slammed into either a tree or a post, and subsequently burst into flames and exploded.

Sources told TMZ that Walker was in Santa Clarita for a car show meant to raise funds for the relief efforts for the survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) in the Philippines.

Earlier this week, members of the "Fast and the Furious" cast, including Walker, reached out to their fans in an effort to raise awareness of as well as assistance for the victims of "Yolanda" in the Philippines.

It was Walker who spoke on behalf of the group.

“The needs are gonna be extensive for a long period of time. So basically, we are reaching out to the fans. We love Manila -- we were there last year, they received us with open arms. We love the Philippines,” Walker in the video.

On Sunday, Malacañang took note of Walker's fund-raising activities for the typhoon survivors in the country.

In a text message, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said: “We mourn the death of actor Paul Walker while in California where he raised funds for Filipinos who suffered much in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda's onslaught.”

“Filipinos admire him for his artistic talents and will honor his memory for his humanitarian compassion and solidarity in our time of need,” Coloma added. -- With report from Reuters

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com