Families Settle Suit Over Deaths in Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Key Points:

• Families of five of the six men killed in the Key Bridge cargo ship crash have reached legal settlements with the ship's owner, Grace Ocean, and operator, Synergy Marine, ahead of a federal trial in Baltimore.
• The men, all Latin American immigrants, were part of a crew repairing potholes on the bridge when the cargo ship Dali lost power and collided with the bridge in March 2024, causing a section of the roadway to fall into the Patapsco River.
• Settlements were also reached with the family of Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera and the worker who survived the accident; however, the terms of the settlements remain confidential.
• Despite these settlements, other plaintiffs, including the city of Baltimore and cargo owners, still have claims pending, and the trial will proceed to determine liability and whether the defendants can limit their financial responsibility under an 1851 maritime law.
• Lawyers representing the families expressed that while legal resolutions bring some closure, the emotional pain of losing loved ones remains profound.