‘Abjectly unseaworthy’: Shipowner and manager face blame in US claim of ‘cascading events’ that led to Baltimore disaster

Types : In the News

Oil Pollution Act claim raises prospects of economic damages

The US has lodged a claim against Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean over costs that the government lawyers tallied up to $103m after a container ship destroyed a Baltimore bridge.

The claim is the latest legal maneuver in litigation over a deadly casualty that saw the 9,962-teu Dali (built 2015) crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, killing six workers, cutting off traffic to a major port and launching a massive effort to remove debris from the shipping channel.

Robert O’Connor, a maritime lawyer at Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, pointed out that the Justice Department is also seeking claims under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, or OPA 90.

“The inclusion of a count under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 is significant because-unlike the Robins Dry Dock doctrine-OPA 90 allows recovery of economic damages,” he said.