City of Baltimore Pursuing Legal Action Against ‘Dali’ Stakeholders Over Key Bridge Collapse

Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott confirmed that the city is taking legal action against stakeholders of the containership Dali in response to the far-reaching impact of the Key Bridge collapse.

The Singapore-flagged Dali is suspected of losing power before it collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge early on March 26, causing the bridge to collapse and killing six workers on the bridge at the time. The cause of the accident is under investigation by the NTSB and Coast Guard.

The incident has resulted considerable economic impacts on businesses, employees, and the city relying on the Port of Baltimore.

Scott announced on Monday that the city has retained the services of trial firms DiCello Levitt and Philadelphia’s Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky Trial Lawyers to spearhead the legal pursuit. The primary aim is to “hold the wrongdoers responsible.”

The city’s legal action will focus on holding all culpable entities accountable for the disaster, including the owner, charterer, manager/operator, and “manufacturer” of the M/V Dali, and any other potentially liable third parties.

The M/V Dali is owned by Grace Ocean Private and managed by Synergy Marine Group, both based in Singapore, and is chartered Maersk. It was built in 2015 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea.

Thea announcement comes as the FBI has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into the incident.

“We are continuing to do everything in our power to support everyone impacted here and will continue to recognize the human impact this event has had,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “Part of that work needs to be seeking recourse from those who may potentially be responsible, and with the ship’s owner filing a petition to limit its liability mere days after the incident, we need to act equally as quickly to protect the City’s interests.”

City Solicitor Ebony M. Thompson echoed these sentiments. “It is time to hold the M/V Dali’s owner, charterer, manager/operator, manufacturer, and others accountable for the City’s substantial and ongoing economic losses arising from this tragedy, as well as for the unimaginable distress they have caused to the City’s residents, businesses, workers, and their families,” she said.

Adam Levitt, co-founder at DiCello Levitt, said they intend to bring significant economic and environmental loss claims on behalf of the City of Baltimore and its residents. “We need to hold these entities accountable for the emotional toll and the substantial financial losses that the City of Baltimore and its residents are facing,” he said.

The city’s legal representation will also include the Law Department’s Chief of Affirmative Litigation, Sara Gross.

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