The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a more than $100 million lawsuit against the owners of the container ship Dali, which crashed into Baltimore’s Key Bridge causing it to collapse in March 2024. The lawsuit comes after months of recovery at the bridge site, and a lengthy investigation into the causes of the catastrophe.
The March collapse of the Key Bridge claimed the lives of six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time of the incident, and caused weeks and months of delays at the crucial Port of Baltimore.
Who were the Dali‘s owners and why are they being suspected of being liable for damages?
The ship, Dali, was owned by two Singapore-based entities – Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited. A months-long investigation concluded that the operators of the Dali were negligent as they were aware of certain issues onboard the ship, particularly pertaining to power and electrical systems.
Of course, it was after the ship lost power that it slammed into the Key Bridge, a fact that DOJ officials pointed out in the lawsuit. If the ship’s operators were aware of potential electrical issues, and did nothing to repair them prior to sailing, liability would fall on them.
What are some other specifics of the new lawsuit by DOJ?
The $103 million figure in the lawsuit was calculated by what the DOJ said was the amount spent by the U.S. on the recovery effort to date. Of course, many more recovery efforts and rebuilding efforts will need to be undertaken to replace the Key Bridge. That won’t be done until 2028 according to estimates.
The U.S. government spent money to reopen the Port of Baltimore by clearing all of the wreckage of both the ship and the collapsed bridge.
Anyone affected by the bridge collapse seeking compensation will have until next week, on Tuesday September 24th, to respond in court. Maryland, at the state level, could sue too. So far, some of the families of the deceased construction workers have announced their intent to bring lawsuits as well.
The full lawsuit by DOJ can be read here.
