Maryland sues owner, manager of ship that rammed Key Bridge collapse

Maryland on Tuesday announced a lawsuit against the owners and managers of the Dali, the ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year, killing six workers and temporarily shutting down one of the busiest ports in the country.

According to a press release from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, the state is suing the Dali owner, Grace Ocean, and manager, Synergy Marine. Maryland is asking the court to award damages for several costs, including replacing the bridge, environmental contamination, emergency response and benefits for affected workers.

“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,” Brown said in a statement.

“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,” he added.

“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,” he added.

Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for Synergy and Grace Ocean, told The Hill in a statement that the lawsuit was “anticipated” given today’s deadline for claims against the Dali.

He added that the “owner and manager will have no further comment on the merits of any claim at this time, but we do look forward to our day in court to set the record straight.”

The press release noted that Maryland’s investigation found that the crash was “entirely preventable,” adding that the Dali had two power failures the day before. The release said that the ship’s owner and operator had “failed to diagnose or correct these failures prior to leaving its berth and neglected to report them to the two pilots who boarded the ship to guide its departure from the port.”

“This catastrophe has caused wide-ranging, multifaceted, and significant harms to the State and its residents,” the press release said.

“Marylanders rallied and moved in partnership to take bold action following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. But the presence of action doesn’t mean the absence of accountability. We can — and we will — pursue both at the same time,” Moore said in the press release.

The lawsuit comes after an announcement from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that it would be pursuing its own civil negligence case against the owner and operator of the Dali, arguing that the crash was “unavoidable” and caused by improper maintenance and violations of safety regulations.

It also said should the owner and manager should cover $100 million in cleanup costs and additional penalties.

After the collapse, the companies filed a request for limited liability, which would reduce their financial obligations.