Baltimore bridge collapse: Highest-ever marine damages payout of $2.5 billion for Indian-managed ship Dali

The State of Maryland has reached a settlement with Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine, the owner and operator of the Indian-manned container ship Dali that collided with a bridge in Baltimore in March, 2024.

Several media outlets have quoted Maryland State Attorney General Anthony G. Brown’s statement, reporting that the settlement is for an amount of $2.5 billion.

Insurance experts had earlier predicted that the Dali accident would equal or surpass the then-highest-ever marine insurance payout of $1.5 billion in the case of the Costa Concordia cruise vessel capsizing in 2012. The U.S. federal government has said the total damages from the accident were $5 billion.

In October of 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice had settled with Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean for $102 million in a separate civil suit regarding claims by federal agencies.

The Maryland settlement is said to resolve civil claims brought against the vessel interests on behalf of the State and its agencies, including the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), the Maryland Port Administration (MPA), and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).

Just ahead of the settlement announcement, Synergy Marine of Singapore, Synergy Maritime of Chennai and their employee Radhakrishnan Karthick Nair, technical superintendent of Dali, were charged with criminal charges by the U.S. Department of Justice. They have been charged with conspiracy, wilfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and false statements, as well as pollution.