Posted on August 5, 2025
The owner of the container ship M/V DALI has filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Heavy Industries, alleging that defects in the vessel’s switchboard system led to the catastrophic collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine PTE Ltd filed the suit on July 31st in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The complaint, filed by maritime law firms Blank Rome and Duane Morris, claims that Hyundai Heavy Industries “defectively designed the switchboard in such a manner that wiring connections were not secure, could not be verified as secure, and could lose connection during normal operation.”
According to the lawsuit, these design defects caused the vessel to experience two power outages while departing the Port of Baltimore, resulting in the ship drifting into the bridge. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for vessel repairs and indemnification for third-party claims.
This lawsuit comes after Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine previously agreed to pay $102 million in October 2024 to resolve civil claims brought by the United States government for costs related to the disaster response.
The March 26 incident resulted in the deaths of six people when the bridge collapsed after being struck by the vessel. The collision also caused significant disruption to shipping operations at the Port of Baltimore and severed a critical transportation artery.
Federal agencies led extensive recovery efforts, removing approximately 50,000 tons of debris from the channel. The Fort McHenry Channel was eventually cleared and reopened for commercial navigation by June 10, 2024.
The incident remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. According to a NTSB preliminary report, the Dali experienced two electrical blackouts during its approach to the bridge. The NTSB said the first blackout after the ship’s departure was due to unexpected tripping of the breakers HR1 and LR1.
The case is being overseen by Judge Kai N Scott.
