The Dali’s owners and operators, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, have settled a month-long legal case by agreeing to pay.
The crash on March 26 that claimed six lives and dumped tons of debris into the river was dubbed “one of the worst transportation disasters in recent memory” by the justice department.
The US Treasury and other federal entities directly impacted by the collision or participating in the response will receive payment.
“This is an amazing result that makes up for all of the expenses the United States incurred.
said in a press release issued on Thursday by Brian Boynton, the head of the Justice Department’s civil division.
According to the agency, the deal excludes any compensation for the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s reconstruction. For those damages, the state has made its own claim.
“The payment is “not indicative of any responsibility” and “just pays costs associated to clearing the channel,” according to a statement from Synergy.
This settlement does not include any punitive damages. It further stated that the United States has rejected its claim in line with the settlement.
The United States attributed the incident on malfunctions in the ship’s mechanical and electrical systems. It said that because the Dali was not properly maintained, the ship lost power and crashed.
