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maritime law

A seagull surveys the channel where the Key Bridge once stood. (Mira Beinart/Capital News Service)
Jun 18, 2026

Key Bridge case: Head Dali engineer could have charge dropped in 3 years

If he abides by a deal struck with federal prosecutors, the chief engineer of the ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge could have his criminal charge dismissed in three years.

With his clients following behind, Shaun Clarke, an attorney representing seafarers from two ships managed by the same firm as the Dali, leaves the U.S. District Court for Maryland's courthouse in Baltimore following a scheduling hearing.
Jun 16, 2026

Key Bridge criminal case going to trial in fall 2027

A judge ruled that the criminal conspiracy case against the manager of the ship that crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge will go to trial in more than a year.

Two years after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, the Weeks 533 crane drives a pile beneath the Patapsco River on the site of a new bridge. (Dan Belson/The Daily Record)
Jun 15, 2026

Key Bridge case: Dali’s chief engineer enters deferred prosecution agreement

Federal prosecutors filed a criminal charge against the chief engineer of the ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but said that he had entered a deferred prosecution agreement.

The remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River after a container ship collided with the span on March 26, 2024. (Mira Beinart/Capital News Service)
Jun 1, 2026

Judge pauses Key Bridge collapse trial

A federal judge postponed the first planned trial over Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse after a rush of settlements over the weekend.

Salvage crews remove debris from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge from the Fort McHenry channel on June 3, 2024. (Photo by Bobby Petty, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District)
May 29, 2026

Key Bridge litigation is hard to keep track of. Here’s a guide before civil trial.

Litigation over the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse is just ramping up. Here's what to know ahead of a civil trial.

A crane lifts a shipping container at the Port of Baltimore's Seagirt Marine Terminal on May 12, 2026.
May 14, 2026

MD could face over $2B in Key Bridge claims, records show

Dozens of attorneys have notified the Maryland treasurer's office that they might sue the state for civil damages stemming from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

More than two years after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, Maryland U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes announces a criminal indictment against the firm that managed the cargo ship that struck a bridge support column.
May 12, 2026

Key Bridge case: Dali manager, employee charged in conspiracy indictment

A judge unsealed a federal indictment charging the firm that manages the Dali cargo ship and an employee of the company, with conspiracy to defraud the U.S.

A cargo ship is berthed at the Port of Baltimore as federal authorities announce criminal charges in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on May 12, 2026. (Dan Belson/The Daily Record)
May 12, 2026

Key Bridge litigation: Dali operators settle with MD for $2.25B

Maryland will receive $2.25 billion from the owner and operator of the Dali, the container ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.

This photo, courtesy of the Maryland State Police Aviation Command, shows the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the shrinking amount of steel wreckage remaining in Baltimore’s Fort McHenry Federal Channel. Unified Command cleared a 400-foot-wide swath of the federal channel May 20, permitting all pre-collapse, deep-draft commercial vessels transit of the Port of Baltimore. Unified Command continues to clear wreckage from the bottom of the Patapsco River, projecting to fully restore the Fort McHenry Federal Channel to its original 700-foot width and 50-foot depth by June 8-10. (Maryland State Police Aviation Command)
May 5, 2026

Key Bridge litigation: Some witnesses fear criminal consequences ahead of trial

Before the first civil trial over the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, witnesses are fearful of criminal consequences for their testimony.

The remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River after a container ship collided with the span on March 26, 2024. (Mira Beinart/Capital News Service)
Apr 9, 2026

Dali ship owners agree to settlement with MD over Key Bridge crash

The owners of the Dali, the ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, have settled with the state of Maryland for an undisclosed amount of money.

Two years after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, the Weeks 533 crane drives a pile beneath the Patapsco River on the site of a new bridge. (Dan Belson/The Daily Record)
Apr 2, 2026

Key Bridge litigation: Shipowners settle with MD’s insurance company

The insurance company that paid $350 million to Maryland for damages to the Francis Scott Key Bridge has settled with the Dali's owner and manager.

Construction crews use a 500-ton crane to drive pile into the Patapsco River as part of the state's rebuild of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed two years ago.
Mar 26, 2026

Key Bridge litigation: Attorneys prep for looming trial over shipowners’ liability

Two years after a cargo ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, dozens of attorneys are preparing for the first civil trial over damages stemming from the bridge collapse.