The U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday that the companies owning and operating the vessel Dali will pay nearly $102 million to settle federal claims stemming from the March collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, though numerous civil claims remain unresolved.
Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Private Ltd. agreed to pay $101,980,000 to compensate the U.S. Treasury and federal agencies involved in disaster response. The settlement addresses claims under the Rivers and Harbors Act, Oil Pollution Act, and general maritime law, following the government’s September 18 complaint seeking $103,078,056 in damages.
“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,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton. The agreement avoids potentially years of complex litigation.
The settlement excludes costs for rebuilding the bridge, which Maryland owned and operated. The state’s separate claim against the vessel owners remains pending, along with dozens of other civil suits seeking damages.
The March 26 disaster occurred when the Dali, departing Baltimore for Sri Lanka, experienced power failures before striking the bridge. The collapse killed six workers and created a massive shipping obstruction that paralyzed the Port of Baltimore, severing critical transportation infrastructure.
Federal response efforts included coordinating multiple agencies to remove approximately 50,000 tons of debris from the channel and vessel, while establishing temporary shipping lanes to mitigate economic impact. The Justice Department emphasized the settlement’s importance in compensating for the extensive federal response to what it termed a “catastrophic collapse.”
