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The owners and operators of the container ship Dali, which crashed into and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March, have agreed to pay nearly $102 million to settle a civil suit filed by the US, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
According to a news release, the money resolves claims for civil damages “under the Rivers and Harbors Act, Oil Pollution Act, and general maritime law.” The money will go to the Department of the Treasury and federal agencies that incurred expenses related to the bridge collapse. Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Private Ltd., which owned and operated the vessel, are footing the bill.
“This is a tremendous outcome that fully compensates the United States for the costs it incurred in responding to this disaster and holds the owner and operator of the DALI accountable,” Brian Boynton, principal deputy assistant attorney general and head of the DOJ’s civil division, said in the release. “The prompt resolution of this matter also avoids the expense associated with litigating this complex case for potentially years.”
The DOJ made clear that the settlement does not include any payments for bridge reconstruction costs. The state of Maryland, which built and maintained the bridge, filed a separate claim related to those costs.
There was more than concrete and steel to sift through in the wake of the bridge’s collapse. CFO Brew spoke with experts this spring about the various legal and insurance complexities that needed untangling following the incident.