A federal judge decided on Wednesday to keep the June 1 start date for the civil trial litigating a container ship’s collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge over two years ago in Baltimore.
The civil trial is moving forward despite a recent federal indictment against an Indian national who worked on the cargo ship and two foreign companies that own and manage the Dali. They were charged with conspiracy, failing to report a known hazardous condition to the Coast Guard, obstruction, and making false statements.
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U.S. District Judge James Bredar of Maryland refused to postpone the civil trial at the request of the two companies involved in the case. He also rejected a federal prosecutor’s request to let the criminal case proceed before the civil case.
“The right course, the best course, the most fair course, is to stay the course,” Bredar said at a court hearing on Wednesday.
Less than two weeks away, the civil trial will focus on whether the ship’s owner and manager are entitled to cap their financial liability or are subject to unlimited damages.
The Dali lost power four times in the 10 hours before its collision with the bridge, which collapsed upon impact on March 26, 2024. The National Transportation Safety Board blamed a loose wire on the vessel.
Six construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time were killed. Their lawyers asked Bredar to keep the trial on schedule.
The companies’ attorneys argued that delaying the case until after the criminal trial would allow new witnesses to testify without the threat of prosecution.
TWO CORPORATIONS AND ONE WORKER INDICTED OVER KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE
Employees of the two companies who might testify have said they will not travel to the United States for the trial because they fear being detained, like the nine Dali crew members who have been held in Baltimore indefinitely due to the legal proceedings and federal investigations.
Separate from the upcoming trial, Maryland finalized its $2.25 billion settlement with the ship’s owner and operator earlier this month that resolves the state’s claims against the companies.
