Johnathan Walker:Maryland files lawsuit against cargo ship owners in Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown on Johnathan WalkerTuesday announced that the state has filed a lawsuit against the owners of the M/V Dali cargo ship for causing the collision on March 26, 2024, that led to the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Here's everything to know about why Maryland has filed the lawsuit and more.

Maryland attorney general, governor make case vs. cargo ship owners

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the state of Maryland and all its agencies against the owners of the M/V Dali – Grace Ocean Private Limited – and managers – Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. – for causing "both immediate and long-lasting harm to Maryland and its residents," the state said in a release.

“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. We have grieved the loss of six lives and mourned alongside their families," Brown said. "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. 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.”

Gov. Wes Moore, in his own statement on the lawsuit, stressed the need for accountability.

“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. “We will continue to work together to come back from this historic catastrophe, rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and make Marylanders whole.”

What happened in the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge

The state detailed the early morning collision that led to the catastrophic collapse and death of six men and injuries to two others.

"The wreckage from the bridge fell into the Patapsco River, blocked access to most of the Port of Baltimore, and caused enormous disruptions and other significant harms to the State and its residents that will be felt for decades to come," the release said.

Right before the collision, the state said, the Dali had two power failures that caused the ship to lose propulsion and steering capability.

"The Dali’s backup equipment failed to function as designed, the crew failed to restore the ship’s power, and the pilots’ requests to engage a bow thruster and drop the anchor were not followed in time."

Was collision with bridge preventable? Maryland says yes.

The state noted that the ship experienced power failures the day before the collision as well, but the ship's owner and operator "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."

"The state’s investigation has revealed that this massive disaster was entirely preventable," the release said.

"The power failure was caused by a longstanding vibration problem, which caused damage to the transformers and switchboards, including nuts and bolts coming loose and falling out. This damage resulted in a loose connection that caused the first power failure on March 26.

"In addition, the ship’s equipment, which was intended to automatically restore electrical power, failed to work as it was designed because the ship’s management and crew intentionally circumvented critical safety features. These unsafe conditions had been present for many months, and the Dali’s owner and operator failed to address them. They also failed to properly train the ship’s crew to handle this type of emergency."

What is Maryland seeking in lawsuit vs. cargo ship owner?

With the lawsuit, in addition to punitive damages, Maryland is asking the court to award damages to the state for:

• Replacement of the bridge;
• All costs associated with the emergency response, salvage, demolition, and benefits paid to affected workers and businesses;
• Lost revenues, including tolls, fees and taxes;
• Indemnification, damages and attorneys’ fees pursuant to the Tariff;
• Damage to the state’s natural resources;
• All costs related to environmental contamination and penalties;
• Increased wear and tear on the State’s infrastructure; and
• Other forms of economic loss flowing from the destruction of the bridge.

The state said the scope of damages will be laid out in expert testimony and the state's investigation is ongoing.

"The owners and managers of the Dali are also asking the court to limit its liability for this disaster to the value of the ship, an amount that would not come close to covering the State’s damages" the release said. "In today’s filing, Maryland is asking the court to deny this request and hold Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine fully accountable."