Baltimore Blames Shipping Companies for Bridge Collapse Disaster
The City of Baltimore is suing the owner and manager of the cargo ship that caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse last month, arguing the companies should be held fully liable for the deadly accident.
Here’s a breakdown of the situation:
- The Incident: On March 26th, 2024, a massive container ship named Dali veered off course and struck a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. This caused a section of the bridge to collapse, tragically killing six roadwork crew members.
- The Lawsuit: Baltimore’s city council filed a lawsuit against the ship’s owner, Grace Ocean Private Ltd., and manager, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., both based in Singapore. The lawsuit accuses the companies of negligence, claiming they failed to ensure the Dali was seaworthy and properly staffed before its voyage.
- The Companies’ Response: The shipping companies have declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit.
- The Cause of the Crash: The cause of the accident is still under investigation. The ship reportedly lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore and before hitting the bridge. Both the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, including whether the Dali had electrical problems before setting sail.
- Liability Limits: The shipping companies previously requested a limit on their financial responsibility for the damages, capped at around $43.6 million. This amount considers the ship’s value, potential repair costs, and salvage expenses.
- Baltimore’s Argument: The city argues that the companies should be held fully accountable for the disaster’s devastating consequences. These consequences include:
- Loss of life: Six innocent people were killed.
- Economic disruption: The bridge collapse has halted most maritime traffic through the Port of Baltimore, a crucial economic hub for the city and the East Coast. This has caused significant job losses and impacted municipal revenue.
- Infrastructure damage: Removing the collapsed bridge sections and repairing the damaged port will be a lengthy and expensive process.
- The Path Forward:
- Legal Battle: Lawyers representing Baltimore, the victims’ families, and potential cargo owners on board the ship are all expected to fight against the companies’ attempt to limit their liability.
- Salvage Efforts: Salvage crews are currently working to clear the debris from the Patapsco River to allow for some limited maritime traffic to resume. However, the port’s main shipping channel is expected to remain closed for weeks.
This bridge collapse is a major tragedy with far-reaching consequences. The legal battle will determine who is financially responsible for the damages and how much they owe. In the meantime, Baltimore grapples with the economic and emotional impact of this disaster.
In their filing on Monday, the city’s attorneys accused them of negligence, arguing that the companies should have recognized that the Dali was not fit for its voyage and should have manned the ship with a competent crew, among other issues.
A spokesperson for the companies declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The ship was en route to Sri Lanka when it lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore and struck one of the bridge’s support columns, causing the collapse and resulting in the deaths of six members of a roadwork crew.
“For more than four decades, cargo ships made thousands of trips every year under the Key Bridge without incident,” the city’s complaint reads. “There was nothing about March 26, 2024 that should have changed that.”
FBI agents boarded the stranded ship last week as part of a criminal investigation. A separate federal probe by the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate whether the ship experienced power issues before starting its voyage, focusing particularly on the Dali’s electrical system.
