Justice Dept. Seeks $100M for Deadly Baltimore Bridge Collapse

(AP)

The Justice Department has filed a civil suit seeking over $100 million in damages against the owners and operators of the containership Dali, which caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, killing six construction workers and disrupting commerce, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The collapse of the bridge in March severed a major highway and disrupted shipping operations at the Port of Baltimore and was triggered by the vessel’s collision with the bridge after it lost power.

The lawsuit names two Singapore-based corporations, Grace Ocean, the registered owner of the Dali, and Synergy Marine, which managed the ship. The Justice Department alleges that the companies failed to address critical safety issues, leading to the power outage that caused the vessel to strike the bridge.

“We allege that the Dali’s owner and operator recklessly cut corners in ways that risked lives and the economic well-being of the nation,” said Justice Department attorney Benjamin C. Mizer in a statement. Mizer emphasized that negligence and a desire to cut costs led to the ship’s mechanical and electrical systems being configured to make it impossible to restore propulsion and steering quickly after the power outage.

“As a result,” Mizer said, “when the Dali lost power, a cascading set of failures led to disaster.”

A spokesperson for both Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine declined to comment on the specific allegations but expressed confidence in the legal process. “We look forward to our day in court to set the record straight,” the companies said briefly.

The bridge required a massive federal, state, and local response. Crews spent weeks removing approximately 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and debris, as well as the wreckage of the Dali itself, from the shipping channel. The collapse created a bottleneck at the Port of Baltimore, one of the nation’s busiest shipping hubs. Temporary channels were cleared to mitigate the economic impact, and commercial navigation resumed in June.

The Justice Department’s suit seeks to recover the federal government’s response costs and claims punitive damages. The department argues that these additional damages are necessary to deter other companies from launching unsafe vessels that endanger lives and critical infrastructure.

The lawsuit was filed as a counterclaim in response to an earlier legal action by the Dali owners, who sought exoneration or limitation of their liability for the incident. The Justice Department’s claim does not cover the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, owned and maintained by the state of Maryland. Maryland may pursue its legal claim for bridge repair costs.

Meanwhile, the FBI has opened a criminal investigation into the incident. In April, FBI agents boarded the Dali while it was still grounded in the channel.