The following release was submitted by the Office of the Maryland Attorney General about a settlement in the Key Bridge collapse case.
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced that the State of Maryland has reached a settlement in principle with Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., the owner and operator of the M/V Dali, resolving a portion of the State’s claims arising from the cargo ship’s March 26, 2024 allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The settlement resolves claims brought against the vessel interest by the Office of the Attorney General’s Civil Litigation Division on behalf of the State and its agencies, including the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), the Maryland Port Administration (MPA), and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), in coordination with a team of outside counsel with expertise in maritime law and complex litigation.
This settlement does not resolve any claims the State may have against the shipbuilder, Hyundai.
“For two years, Maryland workers, families, and communities have carried the weight of a disaster that should never have happened. The Dali’s crash into the Key Bridge disrupted the Port of Baltimore, devastated livelihoods, and sent economic shockwaves across our State that are still being felt today,” said Attorney General Brown.
“Our work is not finished, but this settlement is an important step toward making Maryland whole.”
The settlement is being finalized.
The Office of the Attorney General will have no further comment on the matter at this time.
Background
Two years ago, the M/V Dali’s allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge set off an unprecedented catastrophe for the State of Maryland.
Six construction workers lost their lives. Thousands more felt the economic and human consequences in the months and years that followed.
The collapse of one of the region’s most vital infrastructure arteries brought shipping at the Port of Baltimore to a complete halt, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands of workers, rerouted traffic through communities already bearing disproportionate burdens, and triggered economic ripple effects still being felt across the state.
The State’s claims, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in September 2024, alleged that the disaster was the result of negligence, mismanagement, and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port.
The State sought damages on behalf of its agencies for the destruction of the bridge, harm to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, lost revenues, and the wide-ranging economic losses sustained by Maryland and its residents.