Maryland Joins in Suing Dali Ship Owner, Operator for Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The state of Maryland is suing the owner and operator of the Dali cargo ship that caused the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, joining the U.S. government, the families of six workers killed in the tragedy, the city of Baltimore, small businesses and others in litigation.

“There is no question that the state has incurred a massive amount in damages as a result of the Dali’s negligence, nor is there any doubt that those damages are continuing to accrue. The full scope of damages will be the subject of expert testimony in the litigation, and the state’s investigation is ongoing,” Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a release announcing the lawsuit.

The lawsuits by the state and others are challenging the attempt of Grace Ocean, the ship’s owner, and Synergy Marine, the operator, to limit their liability under maritime law by claiming the tragedy was “not due to any fault, neglect, or want of care” on their part and that they shouldn’t be held liable for any loss or damage from the disaster.

Maryland wants the court to deny their bid to apply maritime law’s limit of liability and instead hold Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine fully accountable for alleged negligence, mismanagement, and incompetence.

The state maintains that the disaster was entirely preventable and that the ship’s owner and operator failed to correct power failures prior to leaving its berth and neglected to report them to the pilots who boarded the ship to guide its departure from the port.

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In addition, the ship’s equipment intended to automatically restore electrical power failed because the ship’s management and crew “intentionally circumvented critical safety features,” according to the state’s complaint. It also alleges the companies failed to properly train the ship’s crew to handle this type of emergency.

With its lawsuit filed today, in addition to punitive damages, Maryland is asking for punitive damages as well as the costs of replacing the bridge and other infrastructure; the emergency response, salvage, demolition, and benefits paid to workers and businesses; lost revenues, including tolls, fees, and taxes; damage to the natural resources; economic losses due to the destruction of the bridge and other costs.

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Grace Ocean and Synergy maintain that they shouldn’t be held liable for any loss or damage from the disaster. But if they are held liable, their liability should be limited under maritime law to no more than the current value of the ship and its cargo after the crash, or $43.7 million. Before the crash, the value of the ship was about $90 million.

In the early morning hours of March 26, the Dali crashed into the bridge, causing its catastrophic collapse, the death of six men, and injuries to two others. The wreckage from the bridge fell into the Patapsco River, blocked access to most of the Port of Baltimore, and caused disruptions and “other significant harms to the state and its residents that will be felt for decades to come,” the state says.

Maryland has said rebuilding the bridge will cost about $1.9 billion.

Chubb, the company that insured the bridge, has made a $350 million payout to the state.

The U.S. government is seeking more than $100 million in damages. The federal government’s civil lawsuit alleges the cargo companies “sent an ill-prepared crew on an abjectly unseaworthy vessel to navigate the United States’ waterways.”

The case is before the US district court for Maryland.

Topics Lawsuits Maryland