Dali trial: Family sues after personal belongings were stuck on cargo ship

Among the Dali’s more than 4,000 containers carrying consumer goods, electronics and hazardous materials, at least one was carrying something much more personal: a crib, kitchen utensils, children’s books and more goods that a young family needed to organize their lives over thousands of kilometers. far from Baltimore.

This family joins the large number of people and interested parties trying to stop the owner of the ship that crashed on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March from limiting his liability for the disaster.

The federal, state, city and county governments of Baltimore all opposed Dali’s owner and manager’s attempt to limit their liability, as did the companies, victims’ families and workers, and sought to recoup damages caused by the Key Bridge collapse.

The claimants are joined by a young family who describe themselves as having moved from the United States to Australia and owning a container of household goods which was being shipped on the Dali. Due to the crash, this expedition was – obviously – delayed.

The plaintiff writes that he was “forced to repurchase essential household items,” including clothing, children’s books, kitchen utensils and a crib. The man who filed the complaint did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The man is seeking compensation for the losses he suffered as well as reasonably anticipated future losses, totaling $6,054 AUD, or approximately $4,080 US.

The family had to replace a crib and crib mattress, children’s clothes, adult clothes, a changing table, kitchen utensils, baby gates and more, according to a chart included in the complaint.

The plaintiff also reserved the right to seek future damages, up to more than $83,400, because, the man wrote, “I have not received proof that my container is accounted for and in good condition.”

The complainant said he tried to buy some items second-hand to save money – and said that was one of the reasons he couldn’t include receipts in the court file.

The filing includes emails and other documents demonstrating that the plaintiff closed a bank account that would be able to provide transaction receipts; It also includes a descriptive inventory of items loaded in air cargo, including an espresso machine, tools, clothing and toys.

This same list shows some items that have been canceled from air freight for exceeding the weight limit; The canceled items were shipped by sea, according to documents included in the court filing, requiring their replacement.

The owner and manager of the Dali, Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private, and the manager, Synergy Marine Group, are respectively seeking to limit their liability for the accident that caused the bridge’s collapse, under the Protection Act. Limitation of Liability Act 1851. This law gives ship owners the option of trying to limit their liability to the value of the vessel and its cargo at the end of the voyage.

In this case, that would be around $43.67 million.

Meanwhile, Maryland officials estimate that rebuilding the Key Bridge will cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion. The state contracted with a construction company to design the bridge. Officials hope the new bridge will be open to traffic by 2028.

Multiple investigations into the night of the crash continue, including a possible criminal investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board, in a preliminary report, said the Dali, which lost power before hitting the bridge, also experienced power outages before leaving port.