The Maryland state government has become the latest party to sue the owner and the manager of the Dali containership, a vessel that took out Baltimore’s largest bridge six months ago with the loss of six lives. The lawsuit accuses owner Grace Ocean and manager Synergy Marine Group of failing to take the precautions necessary to prevent the bridge collapse. In the 56-page claim filed in federal court, the state blames the collapse on the “mismanagement, disinterest, and/or incompetency” of the companies. In a statement, the attorney general’s office said the tragic incident was “entirely preventable,” citing a malfunction in the Dali’s power backup system, the crews’ inability to restore power to the ship, and other faults. While Grace Ocean and Synergy have sought top cap their liabilities from this year’s most famous shipping accident to just $43.67m, the attorney general, Anthony Brown, said yesterday he’d seek a far higher figure in damages. Reconstruction of the bridge alone is expected to cost more than $1bn. “It is our goal to break through this limitation of liability. We will not allow Marylanders to be left with the bill for the gross negligence, mismanagement and incompetence that caused this harm,” Brown said. “The owner and manager will have no further comment on the merits of any claim at this time, but we do look forward to our day in court to set the record straight,” said a spokesperson representing the owner and manager. The Justice Department announced a lawsuit seeking $103m in damages last week while the families of those who lost their lives in the bridge collapse have filed a claim with plenty more court cases expected. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsUnited States