DoJ Sues Dali Container Ship Owners for $100M, Alleging 'Jerry-Rigged' Vessel Collapsed Baltimore Bridge

The Justice Department alleges that the mechanical and electrical systems on the massive container ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a critical shipping channel in the waterways of Baltimore City earlier this year had been 'jerry-rigged' and improperly maintained, resulting in a power outage in the moments before the ship toppled the bridge. 

"This tragedy was entirely avoidable. The electrical and mechanical systems on the DALI were improperly maintained and configured in a way that violated safety regulations and norms for international shipping. These problems precipitated a power loss and then a cascading series of failures that culminated in the collision," the complaint read, which was filed in Maryland and provides the most details yet into failures on the Dali that left the crew paralyzed. 

The complaint continued, "As events unfolded, and because of the unseaworthy condition of the ship, none of the four means available to help control the DALI—her propeller, rudder, anchor, or bow thruster—worked when they were needed to avert or even mitigate this disaster. Mechanical and electrical systems on the massive container ship had been 'jerry-rigged' and improperly maintained, culminating in a horrific power outage moments before it crashed into a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. Six construction workers were killed when the bridge plunged into the water."

We all remember this dramatic video.

As a result of the disaster, the US government is seeking a civil claim totaling $100 million, claiming these costs were associated with salvage efforts and reopening the Port of Baltimore. The complaint said that Dali's Singaporean owners "sent an ill-prepared crew on an abjectly unseaworthy vessel to navigate the United States' waterways, adding that Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine "cut corners." 

"With this civil claim, the Justice Department is working to ensure that the costs of clearing the channel and reopening the Port of Baltimore are borne by the companies that caused the crash, not by the American taxpayers," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland wrote in a statement. 

According to the local newspaper, Baltimore Sun, "The suit does not seek to recover costs from the rebuilding of the bridge, which is expected to open in 2028, since the state of Maryland owns the structure. The state is expected to later file its own suit." 

We stressed right after the Dali incident that federal officials must start vetting the crews of vessels with foreign crews navigating US waterways. This poses a significant national security risk on its own.

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Here's the full complaint: