A federal judge has ruled that the civil trial over the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge will proceed as scheduled on June 1, despite recent criminal charges filed against the ship’s operator and a crew member. The decision comes amid ongoing legal battles following the March 26, 2024, disaster, which killed six construction workers when the container ship Dali struck the bridge after losing power.
The civil trial will determine whether the ship’s owner and manager can limit their financial liability or face unlimited damages. U.S. District Judge James Bredar rejected requests to delay the trial, stating that proceeding as planned was the 'most fair course.' The trial will focus on the ship’s repeated power losses before the collision and the National Transportation Safety Board’s finding that a loose wire caused the vessel’s failure.
Criminal charges were filed on May 12 against Singapore-based Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., India-based Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., and Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, the ship’s technical superintendent. The indictment alleges conspiracy, misconduct causing death, failing to report hazardous conditions, obstruction, and making false statements. Prosecutors claim the ship operator relied on an improper fuel pump and lied to investigators. The companies argue the accident should not be treated as a crime.
Attorneys for the victims’ families supported the trial’s timeline, while the companies’ lawyers argued that witnesses would be reluctant to testify before the criminal case is resolved. The judge noted that delaying the civil trial would not be the most efficient use of judicial resources. Separately, Maryland finalized a $2.25 billion settlement with the ship’s insurers in April.