The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a $103 million civil claim against Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine, the owners and operators of the containership Dali. The lawsuit accuses the companies of gross negligence, reckless cost-cutting, and a deliberate disregard for safety measures that contributed to a catastrophic incident in Baltimore, Maryland. The disaster resulted in the destruction of the iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge and tragically claimed the lives of six roadworkers.
The DOJ’s filing in U.S. District Court presents one of the most comprehensive and detailed accounts of the incident, asserting that the Dali was knowingly kept in service despite being in an "unseaworthy" condition, with the ship's systems being "jury-rigged" to keep it operational.
These makeshift repairs, according to the DOJ, were directly responsible for the chain of failures that culminated in the fatal incident, making it an entirely preventable disaster.
A Preventable Tragedy: Gross Negligence and Safety Violations
At the heart of the DOJ's case is the allegation that Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine were fully aware of serious, long-standing technical issues with the Dali, particularly related to its mechanical and electrical systems. Instead of addressing these problems in accordance with maritime safety standards, the companies are accused of taking shortcuts to save money. This gross negligence, the DOJ claims, made the Dali a ticking time bomb on the high seas, endangering both the crew and anyone near its path.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the DOJ's Civil Division, stated, “This was an avoidable catastrophe, resulting from a series of reckless decisions made by the owner and operator of the Dali. They knowingly sent the vessel to sea in a highly compromised state, prioritizing cost savings over safety.”
The DOJ’s lawsuit provides a 52-page detailed account of the failures that led to the incident. The central issue appears to have been a chronic vibration problem in the ship's systems, particularly affecting its electrical transformer. According to the DOJ, this vibration had been a known issue for some time and had been improperly "fixed" with makeshift solutions, including welding a cargo hook between the transformer and a nearby steel beam. This temporary solution, or "jury-rigging," did not resolve the underlying problem and ultimately led to a catastrophic chain of events.
The Engineering Failures that Led to Disaster
The incident occurred as the Dali was departing Baltimore Harbor, during which the primary electrical transformer experienced a failure due to vibration issues. The transformer, retrofitted with anti-vibration braces, had been cracking repeatedly, and rather than replace or properly repair it, the ship's engineers welded the cracks, making temporary repairs that only exacerbated the situation.
On the day of the disaster, this faulty transformer tripped, cutting off power to the vessel as it navigated out of the harbor. According to the DOJ, the automated backup system, which should have restored power, had been manually disabled by the crew in previous operations. As a result, the crew was left scrambling in the dark to manually reset the systems, in clear violation of SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations. The emergency generator, which should have started immediately, took over a minute to engage—far longer than the required time.
Even when power was restored, it failed again due to a faulty fuel pump that had been installed to save money. The DOJ claims that this pump was not designed to function during a recovery from a blackout, and its malfunction caused a second blackout. Without adequate fuel pressure, the ship was left powerless in a critical moment.