Dali Crew Can Leave U.S., Attorneys Agree In Key Bridge Collapse

BALTIMORE, MD — Lawyers involved in the civil litigation tied to the Key Bridge collapse have agreed to let crew members from the Dali cargo ship leave the U.S. amid continuing civil court cases related to the fatal mishap.

The Dali cargo ship has about two dozen crew members from India and Sri Lanka, and court documents reported by the Associated Press indicated eight crew members were expected to leave the ship on Thursday in preparation for leaving the U.S. This would be the first time the crew could depart the ship since the March 26 collapse that killed six road workers on the bridge.

After requests from lawyers in federal court, a judge on Tuesday night ordered the crew members to stay in the U.S. until at least a June 20 hearing, the Washington Post reported. The lawyers' filings indicated they found out just two days before the crew members' anticipated journey home.

Late Wednesday, attorneys representing the city of Baltimore reached an agreement with Grace Ocean Private, the owner of the Dali, and Synergy Marine Group, the manager of the ship to ensure crew members would be available for lawsuit-related interviews, the Baltimore Banner reported.

The shipping company and management company promised to accept subpoenas for the depositions of the witnesses to be taken in London or wherever the attorneys agree to, WBAL-TV reported, and agreed the companies will guarantee the witnesses' appearance at the depositions or face sanctions.

According to the AP, Department of Justice investigators have already spoken with the eight crew members who were prepared to leave the country.

In April, Baltimore filed a case in federal court seeking to hold the cargo ship's owner fully liable for the bridge collapse.

Read all of Patch's Key Bridge collapse coverage here.

Both the city and county of Baltimore have hired law firms to represent the jurisdictions in the legal ramifications of the disaster.

The 984-foot container ship Dali had lost power and crashed into the Key Bridge, leading to the bridge's collapse. The collapse killed six road workers and cost over 1,100 port jobs. The federal channel in Baltimore fully reopened to port operations on June 10. Before that, all ships had been able to return to the port since May 20 using a 400-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep channel. The Dali was grounded for 55 days before it was refloated and relocated for the partial reopening.

The workers killed were José Mynor López, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella, and Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez. The group of workers hailed from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said the administration plans to partner with two specialty law firms to pursue legal claims against all those responsible for the Key Bridge collapse.
The county plans to "aggressively take steps to hold all potentially liable parties responsible and to mitigate the extensive losses that the county, residents, businesses, and other impacted stakeholders experienced due to this devastating catastrophe," Olszewski said in a news release.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board showed that the Dali experienced electrical problems affecting the cargo ship’s power systems multiple times prior to colliding with the Key Bridge and that the vessel has a history of electrical issues, the county said.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on April 15 said the city is partnering with two law firms to hold any wrongdoers accountable in the shipwreck. For its legal action, the city tapped national complex issues and trial firm DiCello Levitt and Philadelphia law firm Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky Trial Lawyers.

The City of Baltimore argued in court papers that the shipping companies in the Key Bridge's collapse shouldn't be allowed to limit their liability. The city filed legal proceedings in the U.S. District Court in Maryland in hopes of canceling a requested liability cap for the shipping companies, The Washington Post reported.

The Dali is owned by Grace Ocean Private Limited and operated by Synergy Marine Private Limited.

The companies days after the collapse asked the District Court to limit their share of the liability to $43.6 million, The Post said. Grace Ocean Private Limited is also asking the owners of cargo aboard the Dali to help pay for the salvage operation.

NBC said the city is seeking a jury trial to assess if the shipping companies should be responsible for more costs.

Related:

• Baltimore Channel Reopens Fully 11 Weeks After Ship Topples Key Bridge
• Port Of Baltimore Back To Full Force, MD Truckers Still Struggling
• Baltimore County Gears Up For Legal Fight In Key Bridge Collapse

• Experts Warned Of Ship Strikes Long Before Key Bridge Collapse: Report
• 'You're Alive': Baker Among Last Drivers On Key Bridge Before Collapse
• Cargo Ship Had Multiple Blackouts Before Striking Key Bridge: NTSB
• Key Bridge Detonation: See Photos, Video As Explosives Free Dali Ship