The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a $100 million lawsuit against the owners and operators of the cargo ship that drove into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. The collapse resulted in the death of six construction workers.

The owners and operators of the cargo ship include Singapore-based companies Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited. The DOJ says the defendants were “well aware” that there were safety issues aboard the vessel, but they did not address these issues. In announcing the lawsuit with reporters, U.S. Attorney Erek Barron for the District of Maryland shared, "The civil claims filed today alleges that the collision was caused by a series of catastrophic failures on board the Dali in the minutes before impact, all as a consequence of the alleged negligence."

The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Maryland. Grace Ocean Private Limited also filed a motion that sought to limit its liability in the crash. The families of three construction workers who died because of the bridge collapse announced that they would also be taking legal action against the Singapore-based companies.

The DOJ maintains that the owners and operators knew there were vibration issues on the cargo ship, issues that could lead to a power outage. However, “instead of taking necessary precautions, they did the opposite.” The DOJ says that the defendants acted “out of negligence, mismanagement, and, at times, a desire to cut costs” which led to the loss of power that impacted crew members’ ability to restore propulsion and steering after the outage. As a result, when the cargo ship lost power, there was “a cascading set of failures that led to disaster.”

According to the DOJ, the U.S. government spent over $100 million to restore and reopen the port of Baltimore after the collision which resulted in a significant economic impact as well. The losses the U.S. government is seeking are for the cost the U.S. government incurred after the collision. The DOJ says the state of Maryland has the ability to seek damages that were caused because of damage as well.

The owners issued a statement through their spokesperson after the lawsuit was filed. Darrell Wilson shared on behalf of the Singapore-based companies that they “anticipated” the legal action that was brought forward by the DOJ. However, Willson adds that "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."

The DOJ issued a press release that explained the DOJ “was committed to ensuring accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” adding “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.”

The lawsuit is not seeking damages that would go toward the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. This is because the bridge was built, maintained, owned, and operated by the state of Maryland.