The city of Baltimore has filed a response to a motion by Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine Group, the owner and operator of the cargo ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, seeking to limit their liability to $43.6 million. Baltimore argues that the vessel was unseaworthy and that the companies’ negligence should not allow them to avoid full responsibility for the damages caused by the collapse.
In court filings, attorneys for Baltimore claim that Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine Group were “grossly and potentially criminally negligent” in allowing the Dali, a 984-foot cargo ship, to leave the Baltimore port in an unseaworthy condition. They point to an Associated Press report that found the ship experienced apparent electrical problems hours before it left the port.
The city also notes that the companies’ request for limited liability is premature and should not be granted without a trial, where the companies’ failures could be fully examined. The vessel is valued at up to $90 million, and the city estimates that repair costs will total about $28 million, with an additional $19.5 million for salvage expenses.
The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into the crash, which killed two workers and left two others missing and presumed dead. The investigation will focus on the circumstances leading up to the bridge’s collapse and whether all federal laws were followed.
