A US judge has approved a $102m settlement by the owners and operators of a ship that struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, killing six people. The payment resolves the US government’s claims after the Justice Department filed a civil claim in September seeking $103m from Singaporean companies Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited. The companies’ spokesperson said they had agreed to pay despite denying liability. The settlement covers money the US government spent responding to the disaster and clearing the wreck of the Dali ship and bridge debris from the Port of Baltimore.
Maryland separately filed claims against the companies for the cost of the bridge, cleanup efforts, environmental claims and other costs. The state estimates that it will cost $1.7bn to $1.9bn to rebuild the bridge and anticipates completion by fall 2028. The shipping companies face additional claims from the families of those killed, workers affected by the port shutdown, Baltimore City and County, insurance companies, a utility and others. The spokesperson said they will challenge them.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in May that the Dali lost electrical power several times before it crashed into the bridge in the Patapsco River. The FBI opened a criminal investigation in April into the disaster. The companies are fully insured for the settlement costs and no punitive damages have been imposed.
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