The owners of the cargo ship Dali were negligent and should be held fully responsible for the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsethat killed six people, the city of Baltimore said in a court filing Monday.
In response to the shipowners’ motion filed this month in U.S. District Court seeking to limit their liability, Mayor Brandon Scott and the Baltimore City Council argued that Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. “had launched a vessel that was clearly unseaworthy,” and they called the companies’ actions “gross and potentially criminal negligence.”
Baltimore City demands jury trial, saying companies’ efforts to limit ship’s liability and cargo value to $43.6 million are “significantly less than the amount that will be claimed for losses and damages resulting of Dali’s alliance. [collision] with the Key Bridge.
“None of this should have happened,” the city said in a court filing. “Reports indicated that, even before leaving port, alarms indicating inconsistent power supply on the Dali had gone off. The Dali still left port, despite its clearly unseaworthy condition.
A spokesperson for the Dali’s owners declined to respond to the court filings or the specific allegations contained in the documents.
“Investigations by the Coast Guard and the NTSB are still ongoing to determine the cause of the incident, and given that these investigations are ongoing and out of respect for the legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further.” declared the spokesperson. Darrell Wilson told NBC News, using the acronym for the National Transportation Safety Board. He said the company continues to cooperate with authorities and work with responders at the scene.
After losing power and propulsion, the 984-foot-long Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, killing six construction workers. could become the most expensive maritime disaster in history.
“Since the alliance, the Port of Baltimore has been at a standstill,” the city wrote of the major economic engine that generated more than $70 billion last year alone. “It may take years for him to fully recover.”
“For all intents and purposes, Petitioners’ negligence caused them to destroy the Key Bridge and single-handedly close the Port of Baltimore, a source of jobs, municipal revenue and a source of great pride to the City of Baltimore and its residents ,,” the documents state.
The court filings also target members of the ship’s crew, accusing the company of staffing the Dali with an “incompetent” crew who lacked adequate skills or training, “failed to pay attention to his duties” and “failed to respect local navigation customs.”
The Dali was expected to arrive at its next port, Sri Lanka, by April 22. Wilson said it remains to be seen when the crew will be able to leave the ship or return to sea.
“The ship will be there in Baltimore for an indefinite period. It will obviously have to be inspected and…
