Posted on June 1, 2026
More than two years after the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a civil trial is set to begin Monday for claimants who have not yet reached settlements with the owner and operator of the cargo ship involved in the disaster.
The trial, scheduled to begin in downtown Baltimore, is expected to continue throughout June.
The Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, after being struck by the Dali, causing multiple deaths and disrupting a major transportation corridor serving the Port of Baltimore.
The replacement project has faced challenges, including rising costs that contributed to a dispute earlier this year between Maryland officials and the state’s lead contractor.
The request to delay the trial was denied
The proceedings move forward after a federal judge denied efforts by Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine Group to delay the case following the announcement of federal criminal charges related to the bridge collapse.
Prosecutors handling the criminal case had also requested a postponement of the civil proceedings, but the judge allowed the trial to continue.
Settlements reached with victims’ families
Last week, some of the families of the victims who died in the collapse reached settlements with the ship’s owner and operator for undisclosed amounts.
A separate settlement was reached by the state of Maryland, which agreed to a $2.25 billion resolution with the ship’s owner and manager. State officials have said the funds are intended to help cover the cost of replacing the bridge.
Dali owner, operators’ defense
During pretrial proceedings, several crew members aboard the cargo ship Dali at the time of the collapse invoked their Fifth Amendment rights during depositions. Some crew members remain in Baltimore more than two years after the incident.
Grace Ocean and Synergy have argued they should not be held fully liable for damages, contending the disaster was beyond their control.
Their legal defense relied in part on an 1851 maritime law that can limit a vessel owner’s liability to the value of the ship and its cargo. In this case, that amount has been estimated at roughly $44 million. The same law was notably invoked following the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
The civil trial at U.S. District Court in Baltimore will be a bench trial, meaning a judge and not a jury will determine the outcome of the case. It’s expected to last about a month.
