Maryland reaches $2.25 billion settlement on Key Bridge collapse as Justice Dept. files charges against operator, employee

Key Points:

• Maryland has reached a $2.25 billion settlement with the owner and operator of the cargo ship Dali, which struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024, causing the bridge to collapse and killing six construction workers.
• Federal prosecutors have indicted two corporations, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., along with the ship’s technical superintendent, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, on charges including conspiracy to defraud the U.S., obstruction, and providing false statements related to safety violations and misrepresentations.
• The indictment alleges the ship lost power twice due to improper use of a flushing pump instead of the proper fuel supply pumps, and that safety risks were concealed before and after the crash, which also caused significant environmental pollution in the Patapsco River.
• The state plans to continue legal action against the shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries, while victim families and other plaintiffs are pursuing a separate civil lawsuit scheduled for trial; the criminal charges may affect the timing of this civil case.
• The crash led to extensive economic losses, including a two-month port closure in Baltimore, with bridge reconstruction costs estimated at $4-5 billion and completion expected by 2030.