Cargo Ship’s Owner and Manager Seek to Limit Legal Liability for Deadly Bridge Disaster in Baltimore

Cargo Ship’s Owner and Manager Seek to Limit Legal Liability for Deadly Bridge Disaster in Baltimore
Wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rests on the container ship Dali in Baltimore on March 31, 2024. Julia Nikhinson/AP Photo
The Associated Press
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The owner and manager of a cargo ship that rammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge before the span collapsed last week filed a court petition Monday seeking to limit their legal liability for the deadly disaster.

The companies’ “limitation of liability” petition is a routine but important procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law. A federal court in Maryland ultimately decides who is responsible—and how much they owe—for what could become one of the costliest catastrophes of its kind.