Seatrade-Maritime: Dali civil trial in Baltimore bridge disaster delayed

Published by Seatrade-Maritime

The civil trial regarding liabilities arising from the Dali bridge allision, set to start June 1, has now been delayed. 

The decision by the US District Court Judge, comes two weeks after a previous request for a delay had been refused. 

The civil complaint, seeking compensation for economic losses, as well as for damage to infrastructure connected to the Key Bridge, had been filed by a group that includes Baltimore City, Baltimore County,  and longshoremen. Both sides had asked the Judge for a “stay”; news reports suggested that the Judge agreed “reluctantly”. 

The rationale for the delay is that a criminal trial, where ship operator Synergy Maritime is accused of intentionally relying on an improper fuel pump and subsequently lying about it to investigators, should proceed first. 

The legal questions are complicated, and, indeed, the criminal case does have a bearing on the civil filings. Court decisions dating back to the 1920’s have restricted shipowner civil liabilities where there was no loss of life by those entities making the civil filing, though questions of shipowners’ prior knowledge of factors leading to a casualty might negate the restrictions on shipowner liability.

The Judge in the case noted, in postponing the civil proceeding indefinitely, that such trials often lead to settlements and resolution of litigation without a trial. In this case, if the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the eventual trial would be in front of the Federal Judge only- rather than a jury trial. 

The announcement of the trial delay comes several days after a confidential settlement had been reached between the Dali owner and operator with families six construction workers killed in the March, 2024 casualty.