Newstalk ZB
One of the survivors of the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the families of the six men who were killed in the United States incident have settled their federal civil lawsuits against the owner and operator of the Dali container ship that crashed into Baltimore’s iconic span. Lawyers representing the men - all members of a construction crew filling potholes on the bridge early that morning - announced the settlements last week, more than two years after the March 2024 collapse and just days ahead of the scheduled start of a civil trial related to their lawsuits. The terms of the settlements are confidential, and details were not made public. Lawyer Chris Stewart, who represents five of the eight members of the construction crew, said in a statement that his legal team “worked tirelessly for these families on this incredibly complex case and are thankful that this matter has been resolved”. But Stewart also called the settlement “bittersweet” for the families because they “won’t have an opportunity to experience the seasons of life with their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons”. The settlements resolve the wrongful death lawsuits filed by the families of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Jose Maynor Lopez, Miguel Luna, Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera and Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval. Julio Cervantes, who survived the fall into the frigid Patapsco River, also resolved his personal injury lawsuit. Separate lawsuits filed by Damon Davis, the construction crew inspector; Baltimore city; and a cohort of businesses and cargo holders are still pending before US District Judge James Bredar, who will oversee the month-long civil trial scheduled to begin tomorrow NZT. During that trial, lawyers representing the owner and the operator of the Dali cargo ship, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Group, have said they will argue that the court should cap their financial liability because they were not negligent in the crash. But those who have sued - alleging personal injury and economic loss - have said in court documents that there should be no limit on what the companies might pay, arguing that Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean knew the Dali was not safe or seaworthy and allowed it to leave port anyway. The US Government has separately criminally indicted Synergy Marine Group and the Dali’s technical supervisor, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, alleging they violated environmental and maritime laws. The Government contends that those in charge of the massive ship failed to maintain proper systems aboard the vessel and two others in their fleet. Those lapses, prosecutors said, included using improper fuel pumps that crippled the Dali’s ability to restore steering power as the ship experienced two blackouts on the Patapsco River in the early hours of March 26, 2024, and careened toward a critical Key Bridge support pillar. The company knew about the improper fuel pump usage on its ships, prosecutors alleged, but did not halt the practice. After the US Justice Department announced the indictment in mid-May, Synergy Marine Group denied the allegations in a statement, and the company’s lawyers asked Bredar, the federal civil case judge, to delay the liability proceedings until after the criminal case was resolved. Bredar denied that request on May 20 - and the settlements with the victims’ families were announced less than 10 days later.
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