The US Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit seeking over $100 million in expenditures incurred to reopen access to the Port of Baltimore after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
The Motor Vessel Dali departed the Port of Baltimore early on 26 March, destined for Sri Lanka. While traversing the Fort McHenry Channel, the warship lost power, regained it, and then lost it again before colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The bridge collapsed and crashed into the river, killing six people.
In addition to the tragic loss of life, the wreckage of the Dali and the remains of the bridge impeded the navigable canal, bringing all commerce into and out of the Port of Baltimore to a halt.
READ: Dali experienced blackouts before crashing into Baltimore bridge
The lawsuit seeks to recoup more than $100 million in expenditures paid by the US in reacting to the deadly accident, as well as cleaning the entangled wreck and bridge debris from the navigable canal so that the port could resume operations.
Attorney General, Merrick B. Garland, said: “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which resulted in the tragic deaths of six people and disrupted our country’s transportation and defence infrastructure.
“With this civil claim, the Justice Department is working to ensure that the costs of clearing the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore are borne by the companies that caused the crash, not by the American taxpayer.”
READ: Dali containership moved from Baltimore Bridge ruins
The US spearheaded the response activities of hundreds of federal, state, and local organisations in removing around 50,000 tonnes of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the canal and the Dali itself.
While these removal efforts were ongoing, the claim contends that the US opened a number of temporary routes to begin alleviating the bottleneck at the port and mitigating some of the economic destruction caused by the Dali.
By 10 June, the Fort McHenry Channel had been cleared, and commercial sailing in the Port of Baltimore had resumed.
READ: Dali vessel freed in Baltimore bridge demolition
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General, Benjamin C. Mizer, said: “The owner and operator of the Dali were well aware of vibration issues on the vessel that could cause a power outage. But instead of taking necessary precautions, they did the opposite.
“Out of negligence, mismanagement, and, at times, a desire to cut costs, they configured the ship’s electrical and mechanical systems in a way that prevented those systems from being able to quickly restore propulsion and steering after a power outage. As a result, when the Dali lost power, a cascading set of failures led to disaster.”
