This claim was part of a larger legal action initiated by the vessel companies, who sought to limit their liability to approximately $43.7 million. In addition to this settlement, Grace Ocean recently paid $97,294 to the Coast Guard National Pollution Fund Center to address oil pollution threats resulting from the incident.
The Justice Department announced today that Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the Singaporean companies that owned and operated the Motor Vessel DALI, have agreed to pay $101,980,000 to settle a civil claim stemming from the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
This settlement addresses the United States' claims for civil damages totaling $103,078,056 under the Rivers and Harbors Act, the Oil Pollution Act, and general maritime law. The funds will be directed to the U.S. Treasury and various federal agencies involved in the incident response.
In the early hours of March 26, the Motor Vessel DALI departed from the Port of Baltimore en route to Sri Lanka. While navigating the Fort McHenry Channel, the vessel lost power multiple times before colliding with the bridge, leading to its tragic collapse and the deaths of six people. The wreckage not only obstructed the navigable channel, halting all shipping traffic to and from the Port of Baltimore, but also severed a vital highway in the local transportation network.
“Nearly seven months after one of the worst transportation disasters in recent memory, which claimed six lives and caused untold damage, we have reached an important milestone with today’s settlement,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Thanks to the hard work of the Justice Department attorneys since day one of this disaster, we were able to secure this early settlement of our claim, just over one month into litigation. This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer."
The U.S. government led an extensive response involving dozens of federal, state, and local agencies to remove approximately 50,000 tons of debris, including steel, concrete, and asphalt. During the cleanup, temporary channels were established to alleviate the bottleneck and mitigate the economic impact on the port. By June 10, the Fort McHenry Channel was cleared, allowing commercial navigation to resume.
On September 18, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, seeking over $100 million in damages from Grace Ocean and Synergy. This claim was part of a larger legal action initiated by the vessel companies, who sought to limit their liability to approximately $43.7 million. In addition to this settlement, Grace Ocean recently paid $97,294 to the Coast Guard National Pollution Fund Center to address oil pollution threats resulting from the incident.
“This is a tremendous outcome that fully compensates the United States for the costs it incurred in responding to this disaster and holds the owner and operator of the DALI accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The prompt resolution of this matter also avoids the expense associated with litigating this complex case for potentially years.”
It's important to note that this settlement does not cover reconstruction costs for the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was built and maintained by the State of Maryland. The state has filed its own claim for damages, and any funds recovered will be used to offset project costs initially covered by federal tax dollars.
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