The state of Maryland has reached a $2.25 billion settlement with the owner and operators of the Dali container ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024.
According to a release from Maryland’s Attorney General Anthony Brown, the state sued Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine shortly after the crash and subsequent collapse of the span, seeking damages for the destruction of the Key Bridge, as well as environmental harm, lost toll revenues, and economic losses sustained by Maryland and its residents stemming from the crash.
“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sent shockwaves through Maryland and caused damages on a scale this state had never seen,” Brown said. “This $2.25 billion settlement reflects the full measure of accountability we were able to secure from the vessel interests.”
Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine had initially sought to cap their liability for the crash at $43.7 million, calculated based off the value of the Dali after the incident. However, the state argued that it would have only covered a small fraction of the damages caused by the loss of the bridge. In the end, the companies agreed to settle the lawsuit before a trial that had been scheduled to begin on June 1.
The state said that it plans to continue to press a separate claim against the Dali’s shipbuilder, Hyundai Heavy Industries, after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ruled that the company was at fault for a loss of power aboard the vessel that led to the crash. In its investigation, the NTSB determined that a loose wire had caused the Dali to lose power twice before it hit the bridge.
The U.S. Department of Justice also filed criminal charges against Synergy Marine on May 12, accusing the company of conspiracy, obstruction and misconduct resulting in death. In its court filing, the DOJ claimed that Synergy had misled investigators regarding the condition of the Dali, and had failed to disclose safety concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard.
