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The Justice Department has filed criminal charges stemming from the March 2024 accident that resulted in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Both the company that owns the vessel and an employee deemed responsible for the accident have both been charged. These criminal charges address the actions that led to the accident and what transpired in the days afterward as the company dealt with federal investigators.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a construction worker or a seaman, you may have a potential lawsuit. Call us at (310) 773-5207 to learn more about your case. Schedule a free initial consultation with a California maritime lawyer at the Law Offices of Preston Easley APC to learn about whether you have a potential case for compensation.
Maryland and the Federal Government Are Taking Action
On March 26th, 2024, in the early hours of the morning, the cargo ship Dali lost power and struck the base of the key bridge. The force of the accident caused the bridge to immediately collapse, taking the lives of six construction workers who were filling potholes on the span. The Port of Baltimore, the tenth-largest in the country in terms of volume, was closed for months. Between damages, and the potential cost of the bridge’s reconstruction, the accident resulted in roughly $5 billion of economic impact.
Now, both the State of Maryland and the federal government have each taken their own forms of action against the ship’s operator. Maryland has settled its own claim against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., the owner and operator of the M/V Dali, for $2.25 billion.
At the same time, the Justice Department announced a set of indictments. The government charged Synergy Marine and its manager, Synergy Maritime Ltd. The indictment centered on the use of a flushing pump to restore power after the ship experienced a blackout. The ship was not approved for the use of such generators. Synergy had been using these devices on three ships.
In the wake of the accident, federal investigators sought to interview crew members and corporate officials. Company employees allegedly knew about the use of the pump both before and after the accident, and they allegedly lied about it to the government. The indictment states that the operator falsified inspection and testing logs to make it appear that the pump. The ship’s technical superintendent was indicted for lying to investigators in interviews conducted after the accident. He is currently residing in India, but the Justice Department states that it will use all available measures to get him to the United States to face trial.
Bereaved Families Are Filing Wrongful Death Lawsuits
At the same time, the families of the construction workers who were killed in the accident, along with a survivor who was pulled from the water, are filing lawsuits against the ship’s operator. Here, a unique maritime law issue may come into play. The operator of the ship is attempting to invoke an 1851 law that limits the total liability of the ship’s owner to the value of the vessel. The Dali was valued at $43.7 million before the accident. The defendant in the lawsuits is trying to use the statute to escape full liability. Since the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing, the plaintiffs still need to prove their case in the wrongful death action. However, if the defendant is able to successfully invoke the statute, the plaintiffs would be forced into a federal proceeding to determine how the limited settlement or verdict funds would be distributed.
If the company is convicted of the criminal charges, they may lose the right to invoke the liability limitation. They could also be facing fines of up to double the amount of economic losses that were caused by their actions. They may also face additional consequences, such as enhanced inspections or loss of access to ports. The result would be the same whether the company is convicted of the charges or pleads guilty as part of an agreement. The criminal charges seem to be the federal government’s way of recovering its own costs from the defendant since to date, it has only received slightly over $100 million in a settlement. The federal government has agreed to fund most of the cost of a replacement bridge that is estimated to surpass $5 billion at this point.
Contact a California Maritime Lawyer
The aftermath of the Dali is illustrative of the implications of a large-scale disaster when many people were affected and the company tried to cover up its own actions. If you or a loved one was injured in a maritime accident, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. schedule a free initial consultation with a California Maritime attorney at the Law Offices of Preston Easley APC to discuss your case. Call us today at (310) 773-5207 or message us online to learn more about your potential case.
Preston Easley is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He served five years of active duty as a Naval officer — three years as a deck officer on a fast frigate and two years as a patrol boat skipper. Mr. Easley also served aboard a tank landing ship in the reserves. Learn more here.
