WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A Florida family has filed a lawsuit against NASA, claiming more than $80,000 in damages after a small piece of space debris crashed into their home, according to the plaintiff's law firm Cranfill Sumner.
'Space debris is a real and serious issue because of the increase in space traffic in recent years,' lawyer Mica Nguyen Worthy said.
On March 8, a 700 grams object released from the International Space Station hit Alejandro Otero's home in Naples, Florida, creating a hole in the roof of plaintiff's house.
'They are grateful that no one sustained physical injuries from this incident, but a 'near miss' situation such as this could have been catastrophic', Worthy commented as Otero's son was present at the home when the incident happened.
'There could have been serious injury or a fatality,' he emphasized.
NASA confirmed in April that the debris was a part of cargo pallet of used batteries released from the International Space Station in 2021 that failed to disintegrate in the space while re-entering to the earth's surface.
The law firm stated that the case could 'form the foundation upon which the legal landscape in this field will be built', as the family's claim is a 'real-life example' of how space debris in the space could cause catastrophic damages on reaching earth's surface.
'My clients are seeking adequate compensation to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives,' said Worthy.
The family is seeking compensation for emotional and mental anguish, damages for non-insured property loss, business interruption and the costs related to third party assistance.
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