Judge pauses Key Bridge collapse trial

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

The ruling came down the morning that opening arguments in the liability trial were set to begin. The owner and manager of the ship that crashed into the bridge on March 26, 2024, had settled with the families of the six men who died as well as numerous other entities over the weekend.

U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar made his ruling Monday morning after hearing arguments from the shipowners and the remaining parties with claims. All the remaining litigants agreed that the trial, planned for five weeks, should be delayed.

Bredar found that the remaining claimants, which include Baltimore City and Baltimore County governments, have economic loss claims that could be barred by the Supreme Court’s 1927 decision in Robins Dry Dock and Repair Co. v. Flint. He set in a schedule for the parties to brief the issue.

The decision suddenly upended a lengthy, complex trial that was years in the making. The shipowners, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Group, had sought to exonerate themselves from liability or limit it to just about $43.6 million — a small fraction of what the claimants sought — under a 19th century maritime law.

This story will be updated.