Maryland suing owner, manager of Dali cargo ship over Key Bridge crash
BALTIMORE -- The Maryland State Government is suing the owner and manager of the M/V Dali, the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge last March, Attorney General Anthony Brown announced at a press conference Tuesday morning.
The lawsuit accuses Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singaporean company that owns the cargo ship, and Synergy Marine Group, the manager of the ship, of failing to take the precautions necessary to prevent the collapse.
In the 56-page claim filed in federal court, the state blames the collapse on the "mismanagement, disinterest, and/or incompetency" of the companies.
In a statement, the Attorney General's Office said the tragic incident was "entirely preventable," citing a malfunction in the Dali's power backup system, the crews' inability to restore power to the ship, and other faults.
"We will show the abject failures of the owner and operator of the M/V Dali," said Attorney General Anthony Brown. "Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine failed."
In April, the companies took steps to try and limit their financial liability in the tragedy to $43.67 million.
"It is our goal to break through this limitation of liability. We will not allow Marylanders to be left with the bill for the gross negligence, mismanagement and incompetence that caused this harm," Brown said.
Darrell Wilson, spokesman for Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine Group, said the state's lawsuit was anticipated.
"The owner and manager will have no further comment on the merits of any claim at this time, but we do look forward to our day in court to set the record straight," Wilson said.
The collapse of the bridge left six construction workers dead and strained businesses that relied on the flow of cargo traffic at the Port of Baltimore.
The Dali's power problems
A preliminary report from the NTSB revealed that the Dali had electrical issues before it embarked on its unsuccessful journey to Sri Lanka on March 26. The ship lost power four times before it crashed into the Key Bridge. Two of the power failures occurred immediately before the collision, causing the ship to lose propulsion and steering control.
The lawsuit alleges that the power failure were ultimately the result of the Dali's management and crew's intentional efforts to circumvent the ship's safety features. The state also alleges that the Dali's power was restored briefly after its initial failure, but was lost again due to a "recklessly reconfigured fuel supply," which led to the electrical power generators running on the wrong fuel pump.
According to the Attorney General's Office, the pilots' request to engage a bow thruster and drop the anchor were not followed in time to avoid the collision.
The Maryland government is one of several parties to file lawsuits against the Dali shipowner and operator.
The Justice Department announced a lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages for the structure's collapse last week.
A road inspector working on the Key Bridge who leaped to safety just before the collapse also said he plans to file a claim.
Rebuilding the Key Bridge
Gov. Wes Moore Tuesday said rebuilding the bridge remains a top priority.
President Joe Biden has promised the federal government will cover 100% of the costs, but Congress still has yet to finalize a deal approving those funds.
Despite that, Moore said he's met with more than 100 members of Congress about this. He feels a deal is imminent.
"We continue to stress this is bigger than politics, this is bigger than an election cycle, this is bigger than partisan differences," Moore said. "This is about America's economy."