The owners of a ship that came unmoored and struck the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge connecting Maine and New Hampshire want the states to lower their damage claims.
The Portsmouth Herald reported that Sexhste Nordtank-Hamburg and TB Marine Shipmanagement, which own the Portugese tanker Harbour Feature, have filed a countersuit to the states’ joint claim seeking $2.4 million in damages for the bridge that was repaired and reopened Monday.
In their countersuit, the companies argued that the repairs made following the collision “constitute an improvement or betterment of the bridge,” which the paper reported topped the list of New Hampshire’s worst bridges. As a result, the companies argued that the claimed damages should be reduced.
The paper reported that Portland attorney John Bass is representing the tanker owners and operators; Leonard Langer is representing Maine; and Michael Brown is representing New Hampshire in the case.
