Dali owners DENY fault and demand lawsuits be capped at $43.6million – the cost of the boat that crashed into the Baltimore Key Bridge sparking deadly collapse

The owner and manager of the Dali freighter that crashed on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people, has petitioned the court to limit their legal liability for the catastrophe.

Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. owns the Dali, the ship that lost power last week before colliding with the bridge. Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., also based in Singapore, is the vessel manager.

The companies filed a “limitation of liability” motion in federal court on Monday, denying any fault or negligence and seeking to limit their liability to approximately $43.6 million – which they claim is the total value of the ship is after losses and damages.

“The casualty was not due to any error, neglect or lack of care on the part of petitioners, the vessel or any persons or entities for whose actions petitioners may be responsible,” the filing said.

“Alternatively, if such errors caused or contributed to the victim, or to any loss or damage arising from the victim, which is denied, such errors were caused and occurred without the confidentiality or knowledge of petitioners.”

They deny any fault or negligence and are seeking to limit their liability to approximately $43.6 million – which they say is the total value of the ship after losses and damage.

A federal court in Maryland will ultimately decide who is responsible for the crash and how much they owe

“If the court determines that the owner and/or Synergy is liable, such liability must be limited to the value of the vessel and the cargo to be carried in connection with the voyage,” the filing said.

The companies said before the fatal voyage that the ship’s value did not exceed $90 million. They estimate repair costs will be at least $28 million, salvage costs at least $19.5 million and freight costs at $1.17 million.

The groups filed under a pre-Civil War provision of an 1851 maritime law that allows them to try to limit their liability to the value of the ship’s wreckage after an accident.

A federal court in Maryland will ultimately decide who is responsible for the crash and how much they owe.

Officials in Baltimore also announced they will build two temporary alternate canals for commercially essential ships after last week’s collapse.

Crews have begun the complicated work of removing steel and concrete from the site where the bridge fatally collapsed into the Patapsco River following the collision with the cargo ship, killing six construction workers.

Twenty-two sailors remain confined to the Dali since last Tuesday’s disaster as they answer questions from investigators about the catastrophe.

On Sunday, diving teams inspected parts of the bridge and checked the ship, and workers in elevators used torches to cut parts of the twisted steel superstructure above water.

“This will mark an important first step toward the reopening of the Port of Baltimore,” Capt. David O’Connell, the federal on-site coordinator of the response, said in a statement Sunday evening. “By opening this alternate route, we are supporting the flow of maritime traffic to Baltimore.”

On Monday, the Small Business Administration opened a center in Dundalk, Maryland, to help businesses get loans to help them with losses caused by the disruption of the bridge collapse.

The bridge fell when the crew of the cargo ship Dali lost power and control on March 26. They called a mayday, which gave police just enough time to keep vehicles from entering the bridge, but not enough time to get a crew of eight workers outside the structure.

Eight construction workers were patching holes in the bridge when the crash occurred. Two were rescued shortly after the collapse. Divers recovered the bodies of two others, while the remaining four are presumed dead.

Officials in Baltimore announced they will build two temporary alternate canals for commercially essential ships after the collapse

On Sunday, diving teams inspected parts of the bridge and checked the ship, and workers in elevators used torches to cut parts of the twisted steel superstructure above water.

Twenty-two sailors remain stuck on the Dali since the disaster as they answer questions from investigators about the catastrophe

According to diplomats from those countries, the workers came to the Maryland region from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

One worker, 38-year-old Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, came to the U.S. from Honduras nearly two decades ago. His brother described him as an enterprising and hardworking husband and father of two children. And El Salvador’s Foreign Minister, Alexandra Hill Tinoco, reported on Wednesday on X that a Salvadoran national, Miguel Luna, was among the missing workers.

In addition to clearing the shipping channel to reopen the port, officials are trying to determine how to rebuild the major bridge, which was completed in 1977 and carried Interstate 695 around southeast Baltimore and was central to the city’s centuries-long maritime culture .

Congress is expected to consider relief packages to help people who lose their jobs or businesses due to the prolonged closure of the Port of Baltimore. The port handles more cars and farm equipment than any other U.S. facility.

President Joe Biden said he expects the federal government to cover the entire reconstruction cost. His administration approved $60 million in emergency federal aid to pay for debris removal and other initial costs.