Baltimore Officials Sue Owners and Managers of Ship That Destroyed Key Bridge
The City of Baltimore has filed a lawsuit against the owner and manager of the cargo ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, alleging negligence and seeking full liability for the deadly collapse.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Baltimore’s mayor and city council, accuses Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd., the owner of the vessel, and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., the ship’s manager, of failing to ensure that the ship was fit for its voyage and properly manned. The city argues that the companies should have realized that the Dali was unfit for its voyage and manned the ship with a competent crew.
The ship was headed to Sri Lanka when it lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore and struck one of the bridge’s support columns, collapsing the span and sending six members of a roadwork crew plunging to their deaths.
In their lawsuit, the city attorneys argue that for more than four decades, cargo ships have made thousands of trips every year under the Key Bridge without incident, and there was nothing about March 26, 2024 that should have changed that.
The city’s lawsuit is the latest development in the ongoing legal battle over the bridge collapse. Grace Ocean and Synergy have previously sought to cap their liability at roughly $43.6 million, arguing that the vessel itself is valued at up to $90 million and was owed over $1.1 million in income from freight.
However, Baltimore leaders argue that the ship’s owner and manager should be held responsible for their role in the disaster, which has halted most maritime traffic through the Port of Baltimore and disrupted an important East Coast trucking route. The filing says the economic impacts could be devastating for the Baltimore region.
Lawyers representing victims of the collapse and their families have also pledged to hold the companies accountable and oppose their request for limited liability.
In the meantime, salvage crews are working to remove thousands of tons of collapsed steel and concrete from the Patapsco River. They’ve opened three temporary channels to allow some vessels to pass through the area, but the port’s main shipping channel is expected to remain closed for several more weeks.
