Two lawsuits had been filed by companies trying to limit their financial liability.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a civil claim on Wednesday against the Indonesian companies that owned the cargo ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge this past March. The claim was filed in response to a lawsuit filed by the two companies, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, seeking to cap their financial liability for the disaster at $44 million.
The Justice Department stated that this sum is “woefully inadequate” to cover the response and clean-up teams sent in to clear the resulting bridge debris, countering with a lawsuit seeking $103 million to recover the expenses of the U.S. government.
“This was an entirely avoidable catastrophe, resulting from a series of eminently foreseeable errors made by the owner and operator of the Dali,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton of the Civil Division.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Acting Assistant Attorney General Boynton as he heads the DOJ’s Civil Division.
- For wisdom for Attorney General Garland and Justice Department officials as they seek to compensation from companies for damages to infrastructure.
Sources: Reuters, NY Times
