State of Maryland Announces Its Own Lawsuit Against Dali Ship Owners

With lawsuits piling up against the owner of the cargo ship that crashed into and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the State of Maryland has thrown its hat into the ring.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, on behalf of the state and all its agencies, filed suit against owner Grace Ocean Private Limited and manager Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. of the ship Dali for causing its collision with the Key Bridge in March.

This follows previously announced lawsuits from the U.S. Justice Department and the families of workers who were killed in the crash. The contractor whose six workers were killed in the crash is also suing, as is an inspector on the bridge who was supervising repairs to the bridge when the collapse occurred.

Wreckage from the bridge fell into the Patapsco River, blocking access to most of the Port of Baltimore and causing significant economic disruptions. The collapse of the bridge killed six workers.

The Dali left the Baltimore Port on June 24, three months after it caused the fatal bridge collapse. By early June, the 50,000 tons of debris left from the ship strike had been removed, and the port channel became clear.

“For the past six months, and into the foreseeable future, Marylanders have had and will continue to shoulder the costs and burden caused by the misconduct of Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. We have grieved the loss of six lives and mourned alongside their families. We have endured increased traffic and altered work commutes, degrading even the quality of the air we breathe. Our state has lost valuable tax and toll revenues, and Maryland's economy has been disrupted," said Brown. “Maryland will rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but Marylanders should not have to pay for the Dali owner's and manager's negligence and incompetence.”

The crash was caused, according to the State of Maryland, because the Dali experienced two electrical power failures, causing it to lose propulsion and its ability to steer. Additionally, a series of other errors – including failing backup equipment, the crew’s failure to restore power and the pilots’ requests not followed in time – contributed to the crash. The state alleges the ship's management and crew intentionally circumvented critical safety features.

A longstanding vibration problem within the Dali triggered the power failure, damaging the transformers and switchboards and creating a loose connection that caused the first power failure.

The photo above depicts an improvised “turnbuckle” being used
to dampen vibration on one of the Dali’s transformers.The State of Maryland

The Dali had also experienced two power failures the day before the crash, which the State alleges were not properly diagnosed, corrected or reported to the ship’s pilots.

In addition to punitive damages, Maryland is asking for:

• Replacement of the bridge; 
• All costs associated with the emergency response, salvage, demolition, and benefits paid to affected workers and businesses; 
• Lost revenues, including tolls, fees, and taxes;
• Indemnification, damages, and attorneys' fees pursuant to the Tariff;
• Damage to the State's natural resources;
• All costs related to environmental contamination and penalties;
• Increased wear and tear on the State's infrastructure; and
• Other forms of economic loss flowing from the destruction of the bridge.

The State of Maryland is also asking the court to deny the owners’ and managers’ attempt to limit its liability for the disaster to the value of the ship, which it says “would not come close to covering the State's damages.”

Lawsuits Still Coming In

Several other lawsuits have been filed this week seeking damages from the Baltimore bridge collapse.

The U.S. Justice Department filed a civil claim against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited looking to recover over $100 million in costs incurred by responding to the bridge collapse. This includes clearing the entangled wreck and bridge debris from the navigable channel so the port could reopen, removing about 50,000 tons of steel, concrete and asphalt in the process.

One day before the Justice Department filed its claim, national immigrant advocacy organization CASA announced that the families of three workers killed in the bridge crash – Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, Jose Mynor Lopez and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera – planned to sue Ocean Private.

The contractor that employed the six men killed in the crash, Brawner Builders in Hunt Valley, Maryland, has also sued, according to a WMAR report. The contractor is seeking compensation for the loss of the employees, injuries to another employee, the loss of company vehicles and the loss of various equipment.

Another lawsuit has been filed by Damon Davis, an inspector who was supervising repairs on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge when the crash occurred, according to ABC News. Davis narrowly escaped the collapse, and the six killed workers were among those he was supervising.

Even an Australian yacht broker, Marine Motor Yacht Sales, has filed a suit against the Dali’s owners over a delay in shipping one of its yachts that got trapped in the Port of Baltimore for several months, according to Newsweek.

It was also reported by The Washington Times that, over the weekend, FBI agents boarded a ship owned by the same group that owns the Dali.