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On Tuesday, AG Anthony Brown announced that his agency has filed a lawsuit targeting the owners – Grace Ocean Private Limited –and managers – Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. – of the M/V DALI for causing the March collision that dismantled the bridge and caused chaos for the Port of Baltimore.
Brown said that since the fatal collapse - which claimed the lives of six people - has impacted Maryland residents for the past six months, and will "into the foreseeable future."
"We have grieved the loss of six lives and mourned alongside their families," the AG stated. "We have endured increased traffic and altered work commutes, degrading even the quality of the air we breathe.
"Our state has lost valuable tax and toll revenues, and Maryland’s economy has been disrupted.
"Maryland will rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but Marylanders should not have to pay for the DALI owner’s and manager’s negligence and incompetence.”
Federal, state, and local agencies worked around the clock to remove more than 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and asphalt from the channel, while also clearing temporary channels to relieve some of the bottleneck at the port.
Officials have stated that the entire incident was avoidable after the DALI experienced two electrical power failures in rapid succession, leading to the destruction of the bridge.
The ship’s owner and operator failed to diagnose or correct these failures prior to leaving its berth and neglected to report them to the two pilots who boarded the ship to guide its departure from the Port, they said.
The power failure was caused by a longstanding vibration problem, which caused damage to the transformers and switchboards, including nuts and bolts coming loose and falling out.
"The wreckage from the bridge fell into the Patapsco River, blocked access to most of the Port of Baltimore, and caused enormous disruptions and other significant harms to the State and its residents that will be felt for decades to come," prosecutors stated.
"This damage resulted in a loose connection that caused the first power failure on March 26."
"Marylanders rallied and moved in partnership to take bold action following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. But the presence of action doesn’t mean the absence of accountability. We can – and we will – pursue both at the same time,” Gov. West Moore added.
“We will continue to work together to come back from this historic catastrophe, rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and make Marylanders whole.”
The complete complaint from the Maryland Attorney General's Office can be found here.
"There is no question that the State has incurred a massive amount in damages as a result of the DALI's negligence, nor is there any doubt that those damages are continuing to accrue," prosecutors added. "The full scope of damages will be the subject of expert testimony in the litigation, and the State’s investigation is ongoing."
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