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Key Bridge collapse: Ship owner, operator ask for later civil trial date

By Maggie Trovato, The Baltimore Sun The Tribune Content Agency
In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland. According to reports, rescuers are still searching for multiple people, while two survivors have been pulled from the Patapsco River. A work crew was fixing potholes on the bridge, which is used by roughly 30,000 people each day, when the ship struck at around 1:30am on Tuesday morning. The accident has temporarily closed the Port of Baltimore, one of the largest and busiest on the East Coast of the U.S. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images/TNS)
In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland. According to reports, rescuers are still searching for multiple people, while two survivors have been pulled from the Patapsco River. A work crew was fixing potholes on the bridge, which is used by roughly 30,000 people each day, when the ship struck at around 1:30am on Tuesday morning. The accident has temporarily closed the Port of Baltimore, one of the largest and busiest on the East Coast of the U.S. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images/TNS) Tasos Katopodis TNS

BALTIMORE - The owner and operator of the cargo ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge two years ago is asking that a civil trial scheduled to begin next month be postponed.

In a court document filed Monday, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited requested that the civil case, scheduled for June 1, be stayed until a criminal case filed against Synergy is resolved.

The companies asked that if the case is not stayed through the resolution of the criminal case, it be stayed for at least 90 days to allow time to determine if they can obtain immunity or any other protection for Synergy employee witnesses.

The civil trial will determine whether Grace Ocean and Synergy can limit their liability under a centuries-old maritime law that could cap damages at roughly $44 million - far below the billions sought to rebuild the bridge and compensate victims. Plaintiffs in the case include Baltimore, Baltimore County and families of the victims of the bridge collapse.

The disaster led to the deaths of six men.

Last week, a federal indictment charging Synergy Marine Group, Synergy Maritime and one employee in connection with the March 2024 bridge collapse was unsealed. The indictment alleged the companies and an employee concealed safety problems aboard the Dali before the ship lost power and slammed into the bridge.

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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 11:35 AM.

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