Longshoremen Sue Ship Owner After Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse

Source: Reuters via BBC

A group of Baltimore longshoremen has taken legal action against the owner and manager of the ship responsible for the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, claiming that they deserve compensation for wages lost while the port remained closed following the disaster. This class-action lawsuit adds to a growing list of legal claims against Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Group, both based in Singapore, accusing them of knowingly sending an unseaworthy ship into U.S. waters.

Baltimore Key Bridge collapses after ship collision (Blog Post)

The bridge collapse resulted in the deaths of six construction workers and brought most maritime traffic through Baltimore’s busy port to a standstill for months. Crews worked tirelessly to remove thousands of tons of debris, but many dockers found themselves without work during this critical period.

“This was equivalent for longshoremen to what the world experienced during COVID, when everything stopped,” stated plaintiff Ryan Hale, who has been a port worker for over a decade. “I’ll never forget, I wake up in the morning, getting ready for work, turn on the news — I had to flip the channels twice to make sure it wasn’t a horror movie.”

Although the port fully reopened in June after clearing the shipping channel, maritime traffic did not immediately return to normal levels, as some ships were rerouted in response to changes in the global supply chain following the collapse.

“Nearly six months later, shipping traffic in the Port of Baltimore has still not returned to pre-disaster levels,” the longshoremen’s attorneys noted in their claim. “Claimants’ incomes were and continue to be entirely dependent on the flow of cargo vessels in and out of the Port of Baltimore.”

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, represents approximately 2,200 International Longshoremen’s Association union members. Baltimore attorney Billy Murphy, representing the plaintiffs, is seeking to recover lost wages and punitive damages.

During a news conference held on Thursday, Murphy provided a platform for three plaintiffs to discuss the impact of the port closure on their lives. The workers emphasized that their access to jobs and benefits is contingent on their seniority, meaning reduced hours can have lasting consequences on their employment status.

“Everything we obtain is acquired through hours,” Hale explained.

Meanwhile, a recent lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice detailed the failures of the ship the Dali, which left its crew and pilots unable to avert the disaster. The complaint alleges that the ship’s mechanical and electrical systems were “jury-rigged” and inadequately maintained, leading to a power failure as the vessel approached the bridge. Compounding the situation, the crew struggled to restore power due to other issues on the ship.

Grace Ocean’s spokesperson, Darrell Wilson, expressed the company’s readiness to present their case in court, stating, “We look forward to our day in court to set the record straight.”

Following the collapse, FBI agents boarded the Dali as part of a criminal investigation into the events leading up to the tragedy. Agents also inspected another container ship managed by Synergy while it was docked in Baltimore.

The Dali was en route to Sri Lanka when its steering failed due to power outages. Tragically, six men on a road crew who were working during an overnight shift fell to their deaths as the bridge collapsed beneath them. Recent court filings indicate that the blackout likely stemmed from a loose electrical connection, which vibrations from the Dali had compromised.

Engineers aboard the ship attempted to restore power by manually reconnecting tripped breakers, but the power was lost again due to issues with the fuel pumps. Attorneys claim that the ship’s fuel supply system was improperly reconfigured after Grace Ocean purchased it in 2017 as a cost-cutting measure.

In the wake of the disaster, Grace Ocean and Synergy filed a court petition to limit their legal liability, anticipating what could become one of the most costly marine casualty cases in history. Various parties, including Baltimore’s mayor, city council, victims’ families, local businesses, and insurance companies, have filed claims against the companies, all of which have been consolidated into a single, extensive liability case. The deadline for most claims was Tuesday.