BALTIMORE — There are currently 37 separate claims filed in federal court against Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine, the owner and manager of the Dali cargo ship that brought down the Key Bridge nearly six months ago.
Less than a week after the collapse, Grace Ocean and Synergy filed a petition in court, asking to either be fully exonerated of liability, or for liability to be capped at just shy of $44 million. That's their estimated value of the ship and its cargo after damages and losses incurred by the collapse. The companies invoked the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, often called the "Titanic law," after it was successfully used to lessen that ship owner's losses back in 1912.
Now, nearly 40 separate claimants want to prevent that cap from being implemented, saying not only is it inadequate to cover all of the damage, but that the two companies are directly responsible for the equipment failures that led to the collision.
Claims range in magnitude from the Department of Justice seeking more than $100 million in damages, to an individual who had $6,000 worth of household goods on board the ship.
Families for all six victims, construction workers who were filling potholes on the bridge, have filed claims for wrongful death, as well as punitive damages. The two survivors - the Maryland state inspector who jumped from the bridge after the ship's collision and the fellow construction worker who plummeted into the river and held on to a piece of concrete before he was finally rescued - have filed claims. The State of Maryland, City of Baltimore, and Baltimore County have filed claims.
So too have Brawner Builders, the construction company that employed the victims, longshoremen who work at the Port of Baltimore, several impacted businesses, international shipping companies that either had cargo on board or had ships stuck in the port, owners of marine terminals at the port, insurers for Port America Chesapeake, Baltimore Gas and Electric, which owns a natural gas pipeline and electric transmission line in the area of the harbor, and State Farm and Liberty Mutual insurance companies, both of which insured cargo on board. One of the claims involving impacted businesses is a class action claim.
And more could be coming. Two companies that had cargo on board asked the judge for an extension, arguing that the cargo hasn't been delivered to its destination yet, so they haven't had the chance to inspect it for damage. The judge gave them until October 2. They'll have the chance to plead their case the day prior for why they should have an extension beyond that.
A spokesperson for Grace Ocean and Synergy previously said they anticipated these lawsuits and look forward to their day in court to "set the record straight."
You can find information about the lawsuits, as well as all of our extensive Key Bridge Coverage, here.
