Baltimore Claims MV Dali Ship That Hit Francis Scott Key Bridge Was ‘Unseaworthy’

The container ship MV Dali’s collision with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, which took the lives of six people and caused substantial infrastructure damage, is sparking legal disputes over liability and damages.

The City of Baltimore claims in court filings filed Monday that the ship’s owner and manager are directly responsible for the tragedy, rejecting the firms’ attempt to limit their accountability under pre-Civil War maritime law.

The incident occurred on March 26 when the 298.7-meter-long cargo ship headed for Sri Lanka lost power shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore and collided with the Key Bridge’s support column, causing it to collapse.

The city argues the ship was “unseaworthy” at the time of departure due to a previous power supply issue, which the firms should have fixed before allowing the vessel to depart.

The legal issue concerns whether the ship’s manager, Synergy Marine, and owner, Grace Ocean, should share full responsibility for the catastrophe.

The firms have attempted to restrict their liability to around $43.7 M by claiming the value of the ship and its cargo at the time of the accident, minus expected salvage and repair costs.

Baltimore officials argue that this number is insufficient to account for the complete losses and damages caused by the bridge collapse.

They argue that the economic consequences, such as the closure of the Port of Baltimore and disruptions to marine commerce and East Coast freight routes, much outweigh the proposed liability cap.

The city’s lawsuit claims that the catastrophe resulted from the firms’ “carelessness, negligence, gross negligence, and recklessness,” further exacerbated by the vessel’s unseaworthiness.

It further says that the ship was manned by an incompetent crew with insufficient training, increasing the chances of maritime accidents.

The court procedures take place alongside continuing government inquiries into the incident.

The FBI is launching a criminal investigation to investigate whether the ship’s crew intentionally operated a troubled vessel, and the National Transportation Safety Board is inspecting the ship’s electrical system for any possible issues before departure.

Despite efforts to lessen the impact of the bridge collapse, such as establishing temporary lanes for maritime traffic, the region is still dealing with the aftermath.

Recovery attempts are underway to recover debris from the sea and atop the MV Dali, but the fate of the remaining crew, mostly of Indian origin, is unknown.

As legal proceedings continue, the City of Baltimore works to secure proper compensation for the damages sustained by individuals, companies, and the local economy due to the accident.

Meanwhile, Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine have declined to comment on the legal proceedings awaiting the result of federal investigations.

Reference: The New York Times, BBC

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