U.S. Sues Ship Firms For $100-M Over Baltimore Bridge Crash

The US government has filed a $100 million (£75.6 million) lawsuit against the owner and operator of a cargo ship that crashed into and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Brandon Drenon reported for BBC News.

Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that the financial burden should fall on the companies responsible for the crash, not American taxpayers. I Photo: David Adams / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District

Justice Department officials accused the companies, Synergy and Grace Ocean, of being "well aware" of the issues with the ship Dali before it lost power and crashed into the bridge on March 26, resulting in the deaths of six workers.

The government stated that the crash caused between 3,000 and 4,000 tons of debris, and the clean-up costs, as well as reopening the Port of Baltimore, exceeded $100 million.

Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that the financial burden should fall on the companies responsible for the crash, not American taxpayers.

The Justice Department said that any money recovered from the lawsuit would go towards reconstruction efforts.

The bodies of six workers, who were repairing potholes on the bridge during a night shift, were recovered from the Patapsco River in the days following the disaster. On Monday, the families of three victims announced they were suing Grace Ocean.