The long-awaited civil trial stemming from the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge has been postponed indefinitely after a wave of last-minute settlements significantly reduced the number of unresolved claims connected to the tragedy.
The trial had been scheduled to begin this week and was expected to last approximately five weeks. It relates to the March 2024 incident in which the Singapore-flagged containership Dali suffered a loss of power before striking a critical bridge support, triggering the collapse of the structure. Six construction workers carrying out maintenance work on the bridge lost their lives in the accident.
On Monday, US District Judge James Bredar agreed to delay the proceedings while he reviews legal arguments that could lead to additional settlements and potentially remove the need for a full trial altogether.
While acknowledging that major civil cases often settle shortly before reaching court, Bredar expressed frustration over the timing of the agreements finalized only days before the trial was due to begin.
“I’m frustrated on behalf of the public [and] the court,” he remarked during the hearing.
Among the agreements reached last week were settlements covering all remaining claims related to the deaths of the six workers, representing a significant development in one of the most sensitive aspects of the litigation.
Most of the unresolved disputes now concern alleged economic losses suffered by businesses, public authorities and other entities following the destruction of one of Baltimore’s most important transportation links. Notably, none of the remaining parties requested that the trial proceed according to its original schedule.
The postponement comes amid growing legal pressure surrounding the case. Less than three weeks ago, US prosecutors announced criminal charges against Singapore-based ship manager Synergy Marine and Chennai-based Synergy Maritime.
Prosecutors allege that the companies knowingly relied on an improperly functioning fuel pump and subsequently provided misleading information to investigators following the incident.
Synergy Marine has strongly rejected those accusations, maintaining that the collision was a maritime casualty that should be examined through established technical and regulatory processes rather than criminal proceedings.
The civil litigation follows a separate major settlement reached in April, when the State of Maryland, Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd and Synergy Marine agreed to a $2.25 billion settlement covering a substantial portion of claims linked to the disaster.
Among the claimants still pursuing compensation is the City of Baltimore, which argues that the bridge collapse caused significant economic damage to the region by disrupting one of the city’s most critical transportation and commercial corridors.
What’s next for the civil proceedings remains to be seen, but the latest settlements have changed the legal landscape of one of the largest maritime and infrastructure disasters in recent US history.
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