In the wake of the Key Bridge collapse, a new lawsuit has been filed against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine PTE. The lawsuit was filed by Karen Austin and Charles Austin Jr., who own American Publishing LLC, whose business was directly impacted by the disaster.
The lawsuit underscores the critical role that infrastructure plays in local businesses, highlighting how interconnected they are. The Austins claim that their business was doing well before the bridge collapsed, but since then it has been severely affected. They state that their income declined by 84% in April 2024 compared to the previous year.
The lawsuit seeks to be ruled as a class action, allowing other businesses affected by the bridge collapse to join in the legal action. Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine PTE have already filed to deny all allegations and have asked the court to cap damages. However, this lawsuit could set an important precedent for future lawsuits related to infrastructure disasters and their impact on local businesses.
