Maryland sues cargo ship owner, operator over Baltimore bridge collapse

By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -The state of Maryland on Tuesday filed civil claims against the owner and operator of the cargo ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, killing six people and paralyzing a major transportation artery for the U.S. Northeast.

The lawsuit seeks damages from two Singaporean companies that are the registered owner of the Dali cargo ship, Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, and its manager, Synergy Marine Group, for the cost of the bridge, cleanup efforts, environmental claims and other costs. Maryland said the incident was "entirely preventable" and caused "massive damages and other significant harm to the state of Maryland and its citizens that will continue for many years."

The U.S. Justice Department last week filed a civil claim seeking $103 million from the two companies seeking to recover the costs of clearing the wreck of the Dali and bridge debris from the Port of Baltimore so the waterway could reopen in June.

The department and Maryland are both seeking an unspecified sum in punitive damages, accusing the two companies of negligence.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in May that the Dali lost electrical power several times before it crashed into the bridge in the Patapsco River. The FBI in April opened a criminal investigation probe into the disaster.

A spokesperson for the owner and operator previously declined to comment on the merits of the claims.

Claims have also been filed on behalf of the six workers that were killed and Brawner Builders, the construction company that employed them.

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.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)