Baltimore Sues Dali Cargo Ship Owner and Manager for Negligence That Led to Key Bridge Collapse

By Madz Dizon

Apr 23 2024, 03:27 AM EDT

Baltimore Sues Dali Cargo Ship Owner and Manager for Negligence That Led to Key Bridge Collapse — Salvage personnel work to clear wreckage after the cargo ship Dali crashed into and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, on April 02, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

According to court papers filed Monday on behalf of Baltimore's mayor and city council, the owner and manager of the huge cargo ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month should be held entirely accountable for the catastrophic collapse.

The two firms submitted a petition shortly after the March 26 collapse, requesting that a court limit their culpability under a pre-Civil War provision of an 1851 maritime law - a standard but significant step in such circumstances.

Baltimore Sues Dali Cargo Ship Owner

According to Reuters, a federal court in Maryland will finally decide who is to blame and how much money is owed in what might become one of the most expensive maritime disasters in history.

Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. owns the Dali, the vessel that went off course and collided with the bridge. The ship is managed by Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, likewise based in Singapore.

Attorneys for the city accused them of carelessness in their lawsuit on Monday, stating that the businesses should have understood the Dali was unsuited for its voyage and staffed the ship with a qualified crew, among other difficulties.

A representative for the corporations said on Monday that commenting on the current dispute would be inappropriate.

The ship was on its way to Sri Lanka when it lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore and collided with one of the bridge's support columns, collapsing the span and killing six roadworkers.

Last Monday, FBI officials boarded the delayed ship to conduct a criminal investigation.

Grace Ocean Private Ltd. Seek to Avoid Liability in Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse

A separate federal investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board will look into whether the ship had power problems before embarking on its voyage, officials said. That research will mostly concentrate on the Dali's electrical system.

Baltimore asked the court on Monday to deny the firms' bid to restrict liability.

Darrell Wilson, a Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine spokesperson, told CNN late Monday that "out of respect for the ongoing investigations and any future legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

A US official familiar with the situation stated last week that the Federal Bureau of probe and the United States Coast Guard are heading a criminal probe into the ship accident.

Federal authorities will also investigate if the crew failed to report a previous issue with the ship that caused the departure to be delayed, according to the official on April 15.