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In March, the DALI left the Port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka, and when passing through the Fort McHenry Channel, the vessel lost power, regained the power, then lost it again before striking the bridge, which collapsed.
The bridge collapsed into the water below, killing six people, and the remnants of the fatal crash obstructed the channel for weeks, forcing all shipping in and out of the Port of Baltimore to come to a standstill.
"The loss of the bridge also severed a critical highway in our transportation infrastructure and a key artery for local commuters," officials said.
According to the claim, the DOJ is seeking to recover more than $100 million in costs the US incurred while responding to the fatal collapse and clearing the wreckage so the channel and port could reopen.
"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," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
Federal, state, and local agencies worked around the clock to remove more than 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the channel, while also clearing temporary channels to relieve some of the bottleneck at the port.
"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," Garland continued.
The lawsuit specifically states that none of the four means that should have been available to help steer the DALI — the propeller, rudder, anchor, or bow thruster — worked when they were needed to avert or even mitigate this disaster.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, called the collapse an "entirely avoidable catastrophe" that could have been foreseen.
"The suit seeks to recover the costs incurred by the United States in responding to this disaster, which include removing the bridge parts from the channel and those parts that were entangled with the vessel, as well as abating the substantial risk of oil pollution," he added.
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer also made note that 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," Mizer stated.
"As a result, when the DALI lost power, a cascading set of failures led to disaster.”
The lawsuit also seeks punitive damages to deter the owner and operator of the DALI moving forward.
"This accident happened because of the careless and grossly negligent decisions made by Grace Ocean and Synergy," acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Chetan Patil of the Civil Division stated.
"(They) recklessly chose to send an unseaworthy vessel to navigate a critical waterway and ignored the risks to American lives and the nation’s infrastructure.”
Officials made note that this claim on behalf of the US does not include any damages for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Those claims will have to come from the state of Maryland.
“In so many ways, the Key Bridge has symbolized the resilience of both the State of Maryland and our Nation," Erek Barron, US Attorney for the State of Maryland, said. "In a very real way, the Key Bridge was a pathway to the American Dream. A part of our culture is gone
“Those responsible for the Key Bridge collapse will be held accountable.”
The 53-page complaint from the Justice Department can be found here.
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