BALTIMORE, MD - The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit for over $100 million against the owner and operator of the DALI, the cargo ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024.
According to the DOJ, Singaporean companies Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, who owned and operated the DALI, agreed Thursday to a $101,980,000 payment for costs incurred during the response to the Key Bridge’s collapse.
The claim against the two corporations, filed on September 18th, covers civil damages under the Rivers and Harbors Act, Oil Pollution Act, and maritime law, according to prosecutors. Officials say the funds will be directed to the U.S. Treasury and to several federal agencies involved with the emergency response to the collapse.
The DALI struck the Key Bridge on March 26th after losing power, causing the complete collapse of the bridge and the deaths of six people.
“Nearly seven months after one of the worst transportation disasters in recent memory, which claimed six lives and caused untold damage, we have reached an important milestone with today’s settlement,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Thanks to the hard work of the Justice Department attorneys since day one of this disaster, we were able to secure this early settlement of our claim, just over one month into litigation. This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer.”
The DOJ says this settlement does not include damages for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was owned, maintained, and operated by the State of Maryland. Maryland has filed their own separate claim against the companies for those damages, according to prosecutors.
