First Civil Case Settled After Baltimore Bridge Collapse
The US has settled a civil case this week against the owner and operator of the vessel that collided with a Baltimore bridge causing its collapse in March.
The Justice Department confirmed that Singapore based companies Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine have settled the claim for costs of damage relating to the Francis Scott Key Bridge and will pay almost $102 million.
The bridge collapsed immediately when the vessel MV Dali lost control of its steering and collided with it, claiming the lives of six construction workers. The vessel was carrying 56 containers of hazardous materials and some were breached, leaking chemicals into the river.
Deputy Attorney General Benjamin Mizer commented “Thanks to the hard work of the Justice Department attorneys, 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 clean-up efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy and not the American taxpayer.”
The two companies still face up to 60 court cases in the US related to the incident, after the early dismissal of this one.
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