Cargo Ship Crew Stranded After Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Court documents state that a settlement reached by attorneys may enable some Dali crew members to return home after spending months stranded on the ship.

TFD – After 12 weeks stranded following a catastrophic incident with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, eight crew members of the Dali cargo ship might soon return home. A recent settlement between the City of Baltimore and the ship’s owner paves the way for their return while ongoing investigations continue to unfold.

Some of the 21 crew members of the cargo ship that was left stranded for 12 weeks after it lost power and collapsed the renowned Baltimore bridge will soon be able to travel halfway around the globe to see their family.

According to records filed this week in Maryland’s US District Court, attorneys for the City of Baltimore and the owner and manager of the Dali cargo ship reached a settlement late on Wednesday that might permit eight of the crew members to return home as early as Thursday.

Since March 26, when the enormous ship lost propulsion, veered off course, and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six construction workers, the 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan on board have been stranded on the ship.

For a number of reasons, crew members have not been permitted to leave the ship. Investigations are being conducted to identify potential suspects in the incident, even though none of the crew has been charged in relation to it. In addition, the mayor of Baltimore declared he would “hold the wrongdoers responsible” by filing a lawsuit.

After learning that some crew members could take a flight home this week, the city’s attorneys and the counsel for the bridge inspector who was almost killed in the incident filed applications on Tuesday requesting the court to step in before the attorneys had an opportunity to question the crew members.

Adam Levitt, a city attorney, stated in Tuesday’s request for an emergency hearing that “the crew consists entirely of foreign nationals who, of course, have critical knowledge and information about the events giving rise to this litigation.” “The claimants may never have the chance to question or depose them if they are allowed to leave the United States.

A hearing on the case was still set for Thursday as of Wednesday night.

William Bennett, an attorney for ship owner Grace Ocean and ship manager Synergy Marine, sent an email to Levitt and other attorneys, prompting the request.

The email stated that eight crew members were anticipated to return home as early as this week and was included as an exhibit in the emergency court papers on Tuesday.

Bennett stated, “Our clients are in the process of arranging for replacement crew for the DALI.” “We have been informed that the U.S. Coast Guard has asked that certain crew members stay in the United States while allowing others to return to their home countries.”

Prior to the ship’s departure from Baltimore (probably on or around June 20th), those sailors “will be transported directly from the Vessel to the airport,” Bennett tweeted on Tuesday morning.

The eight qualified crew members—which include a cook, a fitter, and an oiler—are included in Bennett’s email. Bennett stated, “The Department of Justice has interviewed every member of this crew, and the DOJ has no objections to their departure from the United States.”

Judge James Bredar of the US District Court set an emergency hearing for Thursday morning to hear arguments from counsel on both sides of the dispute in response to applications filed on Tuesday.

However, according to a recent court document, representatives for the city of Baltimore, the ship’s owner, and its manager struck a compromise late on Wednesday on the conditions of the eight crew members’ depositions.

Those crew members will not have to remain in Baltimore as part of the agreement. An exhibit attached to Wednesday’s court filing states that their depositions “will be taken in London or elsewhere by written agreement of all parties to the Litigation.”

According to the agreement, those depositions will happen “no sooner than November 2024.”

According to a court filing on Wednesday, Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine are required to furnish certain documents, such as personnel files, employment contracts, and training files, in addition to allowing the sailors to be questioned.

Bennett responded in an email that was included with the court document, “We agree to (the) conditions mentioned.”

In the court filing on Wednesday, Levitt stated that the agreement had been reached and that “the City of Baltimore is satisfied that the Parties no longer require the Court’s intervention to resolve the dispute.” He stated that as a result, the city requested to have its request for an emergency status hearing withdrawn.

The arrangement “strikes the Court as a sensible resolution to this issue,” the judge said in an order issued Wednesday night, adding that the hearing will go forward “because the agreement has not yet been explicitly endorsed by all parties.”

Why the staff wasn’t fired sooner

No civil lawsuits can get underway because of a pending request by the ship’s owner and manager to limit their financial liability, said Jason Foster, an attorney representing the bridge inspector whom he said narrowly escaped and lost six friends in the tragedy.

Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine petitioned a federal court six days after the accident, requesting a $43.6 million cap on possible liability claims.

However, Foster told on Wednesday afternoon that a ruling about that request is unlikely to occur anytime soon because prospective claimants have until September 24 to submit their claims.

Furthermore, Foster and other lawyers were unable to depose the crew members until all possible claims had filed, which might have been as late as September, owing to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

However, the eight crew members would be allowed to depart the nation prior to their removal under the terms of the new arrangement announced Wednesday night.

How the crew is currently doing

The mariners are in high spirits despite being away from their families for months and without knowing what will happen to them, according to Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Synergy Marine, the crew’s employer.

According to him, the business “looks after them on a daily basis,” assisting in ensuring they have the necessary materials. Additionally, Wilson told on Wednesday that regional seafarers’ organizations had “been tremendous in helping to look after the crew.”

Along with access to cricket matches televised from their home nations, the sailors have received deliveries of pizza and catered meals. Wilson described these little extras as “you know, small touches that mean a lot to the crew.”

However, it’s still unknown when the eight crew members and the other members of their team will be allowed to depart.