TROUBLED WATERS

DOJ Sues Ship Owners for $100M After Deadly Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The DOJ alleged that the cargo ship owners failed to maintain the ship, which led to it colliding with the Baltimore Key Bridge in Maryland.

The Department of Justice is suing the managers of a cargo ship for $100 million after their vessel collided with Maryland’s Baltimore Key Bridge and resulted in a deadly collapse. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the DOJ alleged that the March 26 incident was “entirely avoidable” had Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine Group properly maintained the vessel—which lost power before it crashed. However, the vessel’s faulty electrical and mechanical problems had been “jury-rigged,” reported Politico. Six construction workers were killed in the bridge collapse, and vital shipping channels and supply chains were impacted. The DOJ is also seeking to recoup the cost of emergency services called to the scene on the Patapsco River and costs related to clearing away the wreckage. “The owner and operator of the DALI were well aware of vibration issues on the vessel that could cause a power outage,” wrote Benjamin C. Mizer, principal deputy associate attorney general, in the complaint. “But instead of taking necessary precautions, they did the opposite.”