上月，集装箱船MV Dali与巴尔的摩的Francis Scott Key Bridge相撞，造成6人死亡，并对基础设施造成严重破坏，引发了有关责任和损害赔偿的法律纠纷。
巴尔的摩市在周一提交给法庭的文件中称，这艘船的船东和经理对这场悲剧负有直接责任，驳回了两家公司试图根据内战前的海事法限制其责任的做法。
事故发生在3月26日，当时这艘开往斯里兰卡的298.7米长的货船在离开巴尔的摩港后不久就失去了动力，与Key Bridge的支撑柱相撞，导致大桥倒塌。
该市辩称，由于之前的电力供应问题，该船在出发时“不适航”，公司本应在允许该船出发前解决该问题。
法律问题涉及该船的管理公司Synergy Marine和船东Grace Ocean是否应该为这场灾难承担全部责任。
这些公司试图通过索赔事故发生时船只及其货物的价值，减去预期的打捞和维修费用，将其责任限制在4370万美元左右。
巴尔的摩官员认为，这个数字不足以说明桥梁倒塌造成的全部损失和损害。
他们认为，巴尔的摩港的关闭、海洋商业和东海岸货运路线的中断等经济后果远远超过了拟议的责任上限。
该市的诉讼声称，这场灾难是由两家公司的“粗心、疏忽、重大疏忽和鲁莽”造成的，而这艘船的不适航性进一步加剧了这场灾难。
它进一步表示，该船的船员不称职，培训不足，增加了发生海事事故的可能性。
法庭程序与政府对该事件的持续调查同时进行。
美国联邦调查局（FBI）正在展开刑事调查，以调查该船船员是否故意驾驶一艘有问题的船只，美国国家运输安全委员会（National Transportation Safety Board）正在检查这艘船的电气系统是否存在任何可能的问题。
尽管该地区努力减轻桥梁坍塌的影响，比如为海上交通建立临时车道，但该地区仍在处理善后工作。
从海上和船上打捞残骸的努力正在进行中，但其余船员的命运尚不清楚，他们大多来自印度。
随着法律程序的继续，巴尔的摩市正在努力确保个人、公司和当地经济因事故而遭受的损失得到适当的赔偿。
与此同时，Grace Ocean和Synergy Marine拒绝就等待联邦调查结果的法律诉讼发表评论。
▲Screengrab from YouTube video posted by Island News
英文原文
The container ship MV Dali’s collision with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, which took the lives of six people and caused substantial infrastructure damage, is sparking legal disputes over liability and damages.
The City of Baltimore claims in court filings filed Monday that the ship’s owner and manager are directly responsible for the tragedy, rejecting the firms’ attempt to limit their accountability under pre-Civil War maritime law.
The incident occurred on March 26 when the 298.7-meter-long cargo ship headed for Sri Lanka lost power shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore and collided with the Key Bridge’s support column, causing it to collapse.
The city argues the ship was “unseaworthy” at the time of departure due to a previous power supply issue, which the firms should have fixed before allowing the vessel to depart.
The legal issue concerns whether the ship’s manager, Synergy Marine, and owner, Grace Ocean, should share full responsibility for the catastrophe.
The firms have attempted to restrict their liability to around $43.7 M by claiming the value of the ship and its cargo at the time of the accident, minus expected salvage and repair costs.
Baltimore officials argue that this number is insufficient to account for the complete losses and damages caused by the bridge collapse.
They argue that the economic consequences, such as the closure of the Port of Baltimore and disruptions to marine commerce and East Coast freight routes, much outweigh the proposed liability cap.
The city’s lawsuit claims that the catastrophe resulted from the firms’ “carelessness, negligence, gross negligence, and recklessness,” further exacerbated by the vessel’s unseaworthiness.
It further says that the ship was manned by an incompetent crew with insufficient training, increasing the chances of maritime accidents.
The court procedures take place alongside continuing government inquiries into the incident.
The FBI is launching a criminal investigation to investigate whether the ship’s crew intentionally operated a troubled vessel, and the National Transportation Safety Board is inspecting the ship’s electrical system for any possible issues before departure.
Despite efforts to lessen the impact of the bridge collapse, such as establishing temporary lanes for maritime traffic, the region is still dealing with the aftermath.
Recovery attempts are underway to recover debris from the sea and atop the MV Dali, but the fate of the remaining crew, mostly of Indian origin, is unknown.
As legal proceedings continue, the City of Baltimore works to secure proper compensation for the damages sustained by individuals, companies, and the local economy due to the accident.
Meanwhile, Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine have declined to comment on the legal proceedings awaiting the result of federal investigations.
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