The US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, September 18, accusing the owners and operators of the cargo ship that caused the collapse of the Baltimore Bridge of cutting corners, ignoring known electrical faults. The lawsuit aims to recover over $100 million spent by the government on clearing underwater debris and reopening the port.
The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit in the Maryland court, suing the Singaporean companies Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, which own and operate the container ship “Dali” that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated that the Department of Justice will ensure those responsible for the bridge collapse are held accountable. The accident resulted in six fatalities and significant damage to America’s transportation and defense infrastructure.
He mentioned, “Through civil claims, the Department of Justice is working to ensure that the costs of clearing the waterway and reopening the port of Baltimore are borne by the companies responsible for the accident, not by American taxpayers.”
The lawsuit provides the most detailed account of the incident to date, describing a series of escalating failures on the cargo ship “Dali” that left the crew helpless in the face of disaster.
The Department of Justice disclosed in a statement that the mechanical and electrical systems of the giant cargo ship underwent subpar temporary repairs, leading to a power outage before it collided with the bridge’s support pillar in March. The systems, unable to swiftly regain propulsion and steering after the power outage, resulted in the collision with the bridge, causing six construction workers to lose their lives as the bridge collapsed into the water.
The wreckage of the “Dali” and the bridge blocked the waterway, halting all incoming and outgoing vessels at the port of Baltimore. The bridge damage also severed a vital roadway in the transportation infrastructure and an important route for local commuters.
The US led response efforts involving dozens of federal, state, and local agencies, removing approximately 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt debris from the waterway and the “Dali” cargo ship itself.
The lawsuit also mentioned that as the cleanup efforts progressed, the US established a series of temporary waterways to alleviate port bottlenecks and mitigate the economic losses caused by the “Dali.” By June 10, the cleanup of the McHenry Harbor channel was completed, and Baltimore Harbor reopened for commercial shipping.
Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Brian M. Boynton expressed, “This was a completely avoidable disaster caused by a series of obvious and foreseeable errors by the owners and operators of the Dali.”
Additionally, the Department of Justice’s claim seeks punitive damages to “deter the owners, operators, and others involved with the Dali.”
According to the Associated Press, Grace Ocean’s spokesperson Darrell Wilson stated that the owners and operators have no comment on the reasonableness of the claim but “look forward to clarifying the facts in court.”
Moreover, the families of the six victims announced their intention to file claims holding the ship’s owner and operators accountable.
Brawner Builders, the employer of the deceased workers, also submitted a claim on Wednesday, stating the company lost “6 beloved employees” along with their construction equipment and vehicles.
This case has the potential to become the most expensive maritime accident in history.