The state of Maryland has brought a case against the owner and operator of the container ship Dali, which caused the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the vessel experienced ill-timed electrical blackout and other failures.
Gov. Wes Moore made a statement at a Tuesday news conference emphasizing the impetus for the case.
“Hear me loud and clear. What happened in the early morning of March 26 should never have happened,” said Moore. “A bridge that was used by thousands of vehicles every single day should still be here right now. A key artery to the Port of Baltimore, which helped move billions of dollars of freight every single year, should still be here right now. And the six victims of the collapse should all be here right now.”
Six construction workers employed by Brawners Builders were killed when the ship crashed into one off the bridge’s support columns, causing the span to collapse into the water. Their families have also sued the companies.
A suit filed last week by the U.S. Department of Justice provided a detailed account of the series of failures that left the Dali’s pilots and crew helpless in the face of disaster. That complaint alleges that mechanical and electrical systems on the ship had been “jury-rigged” and improperly maintained.
Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for Grace Ocean, the ship’s owner and manager, said last week that the owner and manager “look forward to our day in court to set the record straight.”
Grace Ocean and Synergy filed a court petition days after the collapse seeking to limit their legal liability in what could become the most expensive marine casualty case in history.
The state’s claim seeks punitive damages against the companies as well as costs associated with cleaning up the wreckage and rebuilding the bridge. It also cites lost toll revenues, environmental contamination, damage to the state’s natural resources and other damages.
Officials said they’re still working to quantify the total monetary loss.
“We will not allow Marylanders to be left with the bill for the gross negligence, mismanagement and incompetence that caused this harm,” said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown at Tuesday’s news conference. “No one can deny that the Dali’s destruction of the Key Bridge has caused just that: tremendous pain and suffering that will continue for years to come.”
Source: NBC Washington, AP News
