In March 2024, Baltimore’s Key Bridge partially collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship called the Dali. The crash caused six deaths, injuries, and major disruptions to the Port of Baltimore. Now, Maryland is pushing back in court against Synergy Marine, the company that manages the ship, over legal protections it wants to claim.
Synergy Marine has asked a federal court to limit its financial responsibility under a law called the Limitation of Liability Act. This law can shield ship owners from big payouts if they didn’t know their ship was unsafe. However, Maryland and families of those who died say Synergy should not get this protection because it is not the actual owner of the Dali. That title belongs to Grace Ocean Private Limited.
Maryland’s legal team says Synergy only manages the ship but never had full control of it. They argue Synergy didn’t have authority over the ship’s command, crew, or finances. The state points out that Grace Ocean kept a close watch on the vessel’s operations, while Synergy did not insure the ship or pay for any possible claims. Because of this, Maryland wants Synergy’s request to limit its liability dismissed.
Grace Ocean and Synergy have both denied any fault in the accident. They say the ship and those involved took proper care and had no reason to believe the ship was unsafe. If they are held responsible, though, they argue their total liability should be capped at $43.7 million, which reflects the value of the ship and its cargo after the crash—much less than the $90 million value before the accident.
The families and the state disagree. They say the disaster could have been avoided. According to their complaint, the ship had known power problems that were never fixed or reported before it left the berth. They also claim the ship’s safety systems were deliberately bypassed and the crew wasn’t trained well enough to handle emergencies.
In the early hours of March 26, the Dali slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing part of it to fall and block much of the shipping port. This accident has created long-lasting damage to the community and the state’s economy.
Maryland and others are now asking the court not just to deny Synergy’s claim for limited liability but also to hold both Synergy and Grace Ocean fully responsible for what they see as serious mistakes and neglect that led to this tragedy.