The US Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking more than $100 million in damages from the Singaporean owner and operator of the cargo ship that destroyed a Baltimore bridge.
The 1,000-foot (300 m) long M/V Branch collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, killing six road workers and blocking the busy shipping channel.
The civil suit against Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine Private was filed in the US District Court for the District of Maryland.
“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
“With this civil claim, the Department of Justice is working to ensure that the costs of cleaning up the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore are borne by the companies that caused the accident, not by American taxpayers.”
The Justice Department said the lawsuit aims to recover more than $100 million in costs incurred in responding to the disaster and removing tons of bridge debris.
While leaving Baltimore Harbor for Sri Lanka, the Daly lost power and collided with a bridge.
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer said the Dali’s owners and operators were “well aware of the vessel’s vibration problems, which could result in power outages.”
“But instead of taking the necessary precautions, they did the opposite.
“Due to negligence, mismanagement and sometimes a desire to cut costs, they configured the ship’s electrical and mechanical systems in such a way that they were unable to quickly restore propulsion and steering after a power outage,” Mizer said.
“As a result, when Dali lost power, a series of failures led to disaster.”
The Justice Department’s lawsuit comes after Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine filed a lawsuit earlier this year seeking to limit their liability to $44 million.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit does not seek damages for the final cost of rebuilding the bridge. That is expected to be a separate claim by the state of Maryland.
The families of the six road workers who lost their lives are also making their legal claims.
The Fort McHenry Channel leading to the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for the auto industry, reopened to commercial shipping on June 10.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
