The Department of Justice is seeking over $100 million in damages from the owner and manager of the cargo ship Dali, alleging negligence in the March 26 Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.
DOJ Files Civil Claim
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a civil claim against Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine, the Singaporean owner and operator of the cargo ship Dali. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Maryland, seeks to recover over $100 million in costs incurred by the federal government in response to the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore on March 26. The DOJ alleges that the defendants negligently cut costs, compromising the safe operation of the ship.
The Impact of the Collision
The collision and subsequent cleanup involved dozens of federal, state, and local agencies. The removal of approximately 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the channel and the ship, as well as the opening of temporary channels, proved costly. The DOJ lawsuit states, “The Baltimore region continues to feel the adverse impacts of this entirely avoidable tragedy.”
DOJ Seeks Accountability
The DOJ aims to hold the companies accountable, despite their request to limit liability to $44 million. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Chetan Patil outlined the costs the DOJ seeks to recover, including approximately $74 million for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and $22 million for the U.S. Coast Guard. Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer stated, “Those costs should be borne by the ship’s owner and operator, not the American taxpayer.”
Investigation of Negligence
The DOJ alleges that the Dali had a faulty transformer subjected to heavy vibrations. When the transformer failed, the main engine stopped, and the ship experienced a blackout. The suit claims that the backup generator took over a minute to switch on, indicating negligence. A second power failure was caused by the use of an improper flushing pump to fuel the diesel generators that created the ship’s electricity. The DOJ asserts that the Key Bridge collapse was entirely preventable.
