US sues Synergy and Grace Ocean for $100M over cargo ship crash destroying Baltimore Bridge, causing 6 deaths and massive cleanup.
The US government has initiated a $100 million lawsuit against Synergy and Grace Ocean, the owner and operator of the cargo ship Dali, which crashed into and destroyed the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore on March 26. The Justice Department alleges that the companies were aware of the ship’s issues before it lost power and caused the disaster, resulting in six fatalities and extensive damage.
The crash led to over $100 million in cleanup costs to clear 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes of debris and to reopen the Port of Baltimore. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasised that the lawsuit aims to ensure that these costs are borne by the responsible companies rather than taxpayers. Any funds recovered will be used for the bridge’s reconstruction.
The incident, which is now the most expensive marine casualty case in US history, has also led to lawsuits from the families of three deceased workers who were repairing potholes at the time. The Justice Department’s lawsuit claims that the Dali’s electrical and mechanical systems were poorly maintained, making the crash “entirely avoidable.”
A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report revealed that the Dali had experienced electrical power losses four times in less than 12 hours before the collision. The disaster severely impacted commercial shipping into the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the US. Twenty crew members were stranded on the ship for weeks due to the wreckage. Grace Ocean has previously filed a motion to limit its legal liability.
