Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean to pay $133m for US bridge collapse

It will go to the U.S. Treasury and the federal agencies affected.

Singaporean firms Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine, which owned the motor vessel responsible for the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse, have agreed to pay $133m (US$101m) to resolve a civil claim by the United States.

The settlement resolves the claims for civil damages amounting to $136m (US$103m) under the Rivers and Harbors Act, Oil Pollution Act, and general maritime law, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

It will go to the U.S. Treasury and the federal agencies affected by the allision or involved in the response.

The payment is in addition to $128,428 (US$97,294) recently settled by Grace Ocean to the Coast Guard National Pollution Fund Center and does not include any damages for the reconstruction of the bridge.

The resolution was handled by attorneys from the Civil Division’s Aviation, Space and Admiralty Litigation Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division.

($1=US$0.76)