The ship owner of the Baltimore bridge collapse is trying to blame others as the liability case takes shape

BALTIMORE – Now that an extensive liability case is taking shape after the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March, the owner and manager of the container ship Dali are trying to pass the buck and shift the blame elsewhere.

Lawyers for Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Group argued in court Tuesday that Maryland state officials should have better protected the bridge from ship attacks. They also raised questions about whether the shipbuilder had installed faulty electrical equipment that caused the Dali to lose power as it approached the bridge.

Meanwhile, lawyers for dozens of plaintiffs seeking damages argued that the immediate focus should remain on where the two companies dropped the ball.

“It’s not an offensive instrument,” said attorney David Reisman, who represents the state of Maryland. He argued that the court should not consider such allegations from the companies so early in the litigation process.

The plaintiffs include the families of six construction workers who died in the collapse, as well as state and local governments, businesses, dock workers and more. They have accused Grace Ocean and Synergy of failing to properly maintain the Dali, ignoring long-standing problems with the electrical system and knowingly sending an unseaworthy vessel into Maryland waters.

Shortly after the March 26 collapse, the companies filed a petition in federal court in Baltimore try to limit their liability. Since then, nearly 50 other entities have filed opposing claims in the case.

At a scheduling conference Tuesday, Judge James Bredar questioned attorneys from both sides in an effort to “bring structure to this sprawling and unusual matter,” which could become the most expensive marine accident case in history.

Bredar said the ultimate goal is to move the case “to the launching pad for a settlement.” But that could take years. He said a forthcoming order will address the first phase of the case, including a timeline and a determination of the appropriate scope — whether narrowly focused or considering broader issues such as legal liability.

William Bennett, an attorney for Grace Ocean, argued that the court should consider assigning “significant liability and culpability,” among other things, to state officials. He cited “decades of data” showing that the state of Maryland has failed to properly protect the bridge, which was built in the 1970s with minimal pier protection.

The courtroom gallery was filled with lawyers involved in the case. The discovery process will likely include dozens of hours-long depositions in the coming months, culminating in a bench trial.

It is possible that some federal claims could be settled in the meantime. Last week Grace Ocean and Synergy agreed to pay more than $102 million in cleanup costs to settle a claim from the U.S. Department of Justice. That payment will reimburse the federal government for money spent clearing massive amounts of debris from the Port of Baltimore’s main shipping channel, which remained closed for months after the collapse.

After the settlement was announced, a spokesperson for Grace Ocean said it was not an admission of responsibility or wrongdoing.

The Justice Department’s claim, which has since been dismissed, provided the most detailed account yet of the cascading series of failures that left the Dali’s pilots and crew helpless in the face of impending disaster. The complaint noted “excessive vibrations” on the ship that attorneys called a “known cause of transformer and electrical failures.” Instead of addressing the source of the vibrations, crew members “manipulated” the ship, the complaint said.

FBI agents boarded the ship in April criminal investigation to the circumstances that led to the collapse.

The Dali was leaving Baltimore en route to Sri Lanka when it lost power, veered off course and struck the bridge. Six members of a roadworks crew were killed. A last-minute distress call from the ship’s pilots allowed police to stop traffic to the bridge, but they were unable to warn workers.

The collapse disrupted commercial shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore. longer travel times for local drivers and left many dock workers temporarily out of work. Trucking companies and other businesses that relied on the bridge are anticipating the long-term impact, court records show.

The federal case will likely be followed by additional lawsuits in Maryland state courts.