US Sues Ship Owner, Operator Over Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The US sued the owner and the operator of a Singapore-flagged ship that rammed into a Baltimore bridge in March, the most aggressive action to date in response to a disaster that killed six workers and threw the region’s transportation network into chaos.

The Justice Department is seeking more than $100 million to cover costs the US incurred after the cargo ship Dali destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge and brought operations at the Port of Baltimore to a standstill.

The civil lawsuit alleges the corporations Grace Ocean Pte. Ltd. and Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd. “sent an ill-prepared crew on an abjectly unseaworthy vessel to navigate the United States’ waterways.”

“They did so to reap the benefit of conducting business in American ports,” according to the 53-page lawsuit filed in federal court in Maryland. “Yet they cut corners in ways that risked lives and infrastructure. Those responsible for the vessel must be held fully accountable for the catastrophic harm they caused, and punitive damages should be imposed to deter such misconduct.”

US lawyers representing the companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the early morning of March 26, video footage showed the vessel hit the bridge, forcing the collapse of the structure. In the aftermath, authorities said six people were killed.

The US government cleared the wreck and bridge debris from the water channel in order to reopen the Port of Baltimore and is seeking to be reimbursed for those costs, according to the lawsuit.

The companies have sought to limit their liability to about $43.7 million. They claimed in a joint petition filed in April that the collapse of the bridge was “not due to any fault, neglect, or want of care” of the companies and that they shouldn’t be held liable for any loss or damage from the disaster.

Photo: The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 4. Photographer: Nathan Howard/Bloomberg