The U.S. government indicated for the first time on Wednesday that it may file a claim against the owner of the ship responsible for the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
In a letter submitted to U.S. District Judge James Bredar, Justice Department attorney Laine Goodhue said the government is among the “claimants and prospective claimants” negotiating with the ship's registered owner, Grace Ocean, and its manager, Synergy Marine Group. These talks are focused on conducting inspections and testing on the vessel before it departs for China later this month.
Judge Bredar is overseeing the claims filed against the companies following the March 26 collapse of the bridge. The Justice Department has not commented on the case, and representatives for Synergy and Grace Ocean have also remained silent.
Baltimore maritime attorney Charles Simmons Jr., who is not involved in the case, told Reuters that it’s unclear what kind of claims the government might pursue. However, maritime law would likely limit them to recovering funds spent on clearing the channel after the bridge’s collapse or money the federal government provided for the bridge's rebuilding.
The state of Maryland has estimated that rebuilding the bridge will cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion.
The ship involved, currently in Norfolk, Virginia, is undergoing inspections and testing that could continue until September 14. The vessel is set to sail for China on September 17, according to the letter.
On March 26, the container ship Dali lost power and crashed into a support pylon, causing the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River. Six workers on the bridge at the time were killed in the accident.
Grace Ocean and Synergy filed a petition on April 1 in Maryland federal court to limit their liability from the crash to the value of the ship and its cargo, which they estimated to be just over $43 million. Claimants have until September 24 to come forward.
Baltimore filed the first lawsuit following the collapse in April, accusing the companies of negligence and claiming that the ship’s operators left port despite knowing the vessel had an inconsistent power supply.
In May, Maryland received approval to hire several law firms, including Lanier Law Firm and Kelley Drye & Warren, as it considers litigation over the bridge collapse. To date, no lawsuit has been filed by the state.
Read Goodhue’s letter here.
