The city of Baltimore argued that the owner and operator of the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge should not escape responsibility, claiming the ship was not fit to sail when it left the Baltimore port last month.
In court filings On Monday, lawyers for the city of Baltimore stated that the owner of the container ship Dali, Grace Ocean Private, and its operator, Synergy Marine Group, were highly negligent.
The attorneys wrote that for over 40 years, cargo ships had made numerous trips under the Key Bridge without any issues, and there was no reason for that to change on March 26, 2024.
However, Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine Group chose to put a clearly unfit vessel into the water, according to the attorneys, who believe that their liability should not be limited in any way.
The 984-foot cargo ship Dali was attempting to leave Baltimore Harbor for Sri Lanka on March 26 when it lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River.
The ship sent out a last-minute distress call for police to stop traffic moments before the crash, but eight bridge workers were unable to escape and were thrown into the water during the collision.
Two workers were rescued and survived. The bodies of four victims have been found. Two more workers are still missing and presumed dead.
City attorneys referred to an Associated Press report from April 15, which revealed that the container ship had experienced apparent electrical problems hours before leaving the port, as cited by a knowledgeable source. The city's attorneys expressed that none of this should have occurred, pointing out that alarms indicating an inconsistent power supply on the Dali had sounded even before it left the port. In the days after the collapse, Grace Ocean and Synergy requested a federal court last month to cap their legal liability at about $43.6 million.
The city is contending that this liability cannot be limited at this time without a trial, where the companies’ shortcomings could be revealed.
The ship is valued at up to $90 million and was owed more than $1.1 million in income from the freight, according to the filings. Repair costs are projected to total about $28 million, in addition to at least $19.5 million for salvage expenses. The Hill contacted Synergy for further comment. The authorities launched a criminal investigation into the crash earlier this month, focusing on the events leading up to the collapse and whether all federal laws were followed.
Baltimore alleged that the cargo ship's condition was unseaworthy when it left the port last month in new court documents that were filed on Monday.
In those filings, the attorneys stressed that it was reported that even before leaving port, alarms indicating inconsistent power supply on the Dali had gone off. Despite this, the vessel still departed in an unsuitable condition.
The Hill reached out to Synergy for further comment.
The FBI The authorities had initiated a criminal investigation into the crash earlier this month. The investigation will focus on the events leading up to the bridge collapse and the adherence to federal laws.
