US Justice Dept Will Inspect Containership Dali, Signaling Potential Lawsuit

The U.S. government signaled in a court filing on Wednesday for the first time that it may file a claim against the owner of the ship that caused the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

U.S. Justice Department attorney Laine Goodhue submitted a letter, opens new tab notifying U.S. District Judge James Bredar that the government is among the "claimants and prospective claimants” that have negotiated with the registered owner of the ship Grace Ocean and its manager Synergy Marine Group to conduct inspections and testing on the vessel before it leaves to sail to China later this month.

Bredar is overseeing claims filed against the companies following the March 26 bridge collapse.

Justice Department representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nor did a spokesperson for Synergy and Grace Ocean.

Maritime attorney Charles Simmons Jr of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston in Baltimore, who is not involved with the case, told Reuters that it wasn’t clear from the filing what kind of claims the government could bring, but maritime law would likely limit them to recovery for funds the federal government spent on clearing the channel after the bridge’s collapse or provided to the state for the bridge’s rebuilding.

Maryland has estimated it will cost $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion to rebuild the bridge.

The inspections and testing on the ship, which is currently in Norfolk, Virginia, are set to begin on Thursday and may continue until Sept. 14, if necessary, according to the letter. The ship is scheduled to sail to China on September 17, the letter notes.

In the early morning of March 26, the container ship, named the Dali, lost power and crashed into a support pylon, sending the Francis Scott Key Bridge into the Patapsco River and killing six people who were working on the span at the time of the crash.

Grace Ocean and Synergy filed a petition on April 1 in Maryland federal court to limit their liability from the crash to the present value of the ship and its cargo, which they estimated to be just over $43 million, according to the petition. Claimants have until Sept. 24 to come forward.

The city of Baltimore, where the bridge was located, filed the first lawsuit following the collapse. Filed in Maryland federal court in April, the lawsuit accuses the companies of negligence in operating the ship, claiming the operators left port despite an inconsistent power supply on the ship.

In May, the state of Maryland got approval to hire the Lanier Law Firm, Kelley Drye & Warren and three other law firms as it explores potential litigation over the collapse of the bridge. No lawsuit has been filed.

(Reuters)