A family from Florida who earlier this year had their house struck by a piece of space debris said last week that they are suing NASA for damages.
On March 8, a cylindrical object burst through Alejandro Otero’s Naples residence. He said that while he was on vacation, his son had called to report the crashing object.
“I was shaking. I was completely in disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage,” Otero stated. “I’m super grateful that nobody got hurt.”
After that, the object was transported to Cape Canaveral’s Kennedy Space Center for examination.
It was a metal support used to attach outdated batteries on a cargo pallet for disposal, as NASA verified in April. One component of the pallet survived the 2021 launch from the space station, despite the fact that it was anticipated that the load would eventually burn up completely upon entering Earth’s atmosphere.
The family is currently suing NASA to recover damages. This Monday, the legal firm Cranfill Sumner announced in a news statement that it has submitted a claim on Otero and his family’s behalf.
The family lists non-insured property damages, business interruption, mental and emotional distress, and the price of outside help as reasons for their claims.
Read Also: Florida Rapper Julio Foolio Fatally Shot at Tampa Hotel, Confirms Lawyer
This incident is a real-life example of how space debris is a “real serious issue because of the increase in space traffic in recent years,” according to attorney Mica Nguyen Worthy’s statement.
“My clients are seeking adequate compensation to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives,” attorney Mica Nguyen Worthy stated. “They are grateful that no one sustained physical injuries from this incident, but a ‘near miss’ situation such as this could have been catastrophic. If the debris had hit a few feet in another direction, there could have been serious injury or a fatality.”
