New Orleans-based Liskow & Lewis has finalized a $2.25 billion settlement on behalf of the State of Maryland tied to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a decision the agency described as the biggest single maritime property harm settlement in U.S. historical past.

The settlement stems from litigation filed in September 2024 in opposition to Grace Ocean Personal Ltd. and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., the proprietor and supervisor of the M/V DALI cargo ship that struck the bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. The allision triggered the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six building staff and briefly shutting down operations on the Port of Baltimore.

Maryland sought damages associated to the destruction of the bridge, environmental impacts to the Patapsco River, misplaced state revenues and broader financial losses tied to the disruption of port exercise and transportation infrastructure.

“We’re honored to have represented the State of Maryland on this complicated dispute with Grace Ocean Personal Restricted and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., proprietor of the M/V DALI,” mentioned David Reisman, lead trial counsel for the case. “We hope this settlement — one of many largest maritime settlements that we’ve seen in 20 years — brings not simply monetary decision, but in addition a measure of peace, closure, and the required sources for Maryland and its residents to rebuild.”

Reisman mentioned the case underscored the dangers related to marine transportation and highlighted the function of Safety and Indemnity, or P&I, insurance coverage protection in large-scale maritime incidents.

“A vessel proprietor who was not entered with one of many Worldwide Group of P&I Golf equipment would seemingly have confronted a major uninsured publicity in a casualty of this scope,” Reisman mentioned.

The Baltimore bridge collapse turned some of the important maritime and infrastructure disasters in latest U.S. historical past, disrupting delivery site visitors alongside a key East Coast commerce hall and prompting in depth federal and state restoration efforts.

Liskow mentioned the authorized staff representing Maryland included attorneys R. Keith Jarrett, Raymond T. Waid, Elizabeth “Libby” McIntosh and Jessie Elizabeth Shifalo and Elizabeth Strunk. The agency additionally labored alongside the Maryland Lawyer Normal’s Workplace, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Downs Ward Bender Herzog & Kintigh PA, The Lanier Legislation Agency and Partridge LLC on the matter.

“I’m pleased with the multidisciplinary staff that got here collectively to attain a superb end result for the consumer,” Jarrett mentioned. “Collaboration and consumer service are core to our agency tradition, each internally and externally, and people strengths are particularly evident when dealing with complicated, excessive stakes issues like this one.”

Based in Louisiana, Liskow has constructed a nationwide maritime litigation follow and has represented shoppers in main offshore and maritime incidents, together with issues involving the Deepwater Horizon and SEACOR POWER disasters.