Maryland Sues Over Key Bridge Collapse

A cargo ship named Dali, caught in a horrifying accident, is stuck under the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The ship collided with the bridge on March 26, leading to a catastrophic collapse that claimed the lives of six construction workers and shut down a vital port for months.

The state of Maryland has taken a decisive action, filing a lawsuit against the owners and manager of the Dali, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd., both Singaporean companies. In a press conference, Attorney General Anthony Brown, Governor Wes Moore, and other state officials announced the lawsuit, accusing the companies of negligence in failing to take necessary precautions to prevent the bridge's collapse.

The lawsuit, spanning 56 pages and filed in federal court, seeks damages for the state’s losses, including lost tax and toll revenue and economic disruption. Additionally, Maryland is pursuing punitive damages, emphasizing the severity of the companies' actions. Attorney General Brown expressed the state’s intention to rebuild the bridge but stressed that the financial burden should not fall on Marylanders. "Our state has lost valuable tax and toll revenues, and Maryland’s economy has been disrupted,” Brown stated.

The Maryland lawsuit follows a similar action by the Department of Justice, which filed its own lawsuit against the Dali's owner and operator a week earlier. The federal agency alleges that the ship's owners and managers prioritized cost-cutting measures over safety, resulting in the disastrous collision. The Justice Department is seeking over $100 million to cover the U.S. government's expenses in responding to the bridge's collapse, but this amount does not include the cost of rebuilding the bridge.

The FBI is conducting a separate investigation into the bridge collapse, focusing on whether the ship's crew was aware of vessel malfunctions before setting sail. This investigation, alongside the National Transportation Safety Board's inquiry, aims to uncover the full extent of the negligence that led to this tragic event.