The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has dismissed claims brought by the owner and operator of the containership Dali against Hyundai Heavy Industries, finding that the dispute would be more appropriately handled in another forum.
The ruling, issued on 3 August, was based on forum non conveniens. The court did not decide whether alleged construction defects contributed to the vessel’s power failures or the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Grace Ocean, owner of Dali, and Synergy Marine, its operator, filed the admiralty and maritime action on 31 July 2025. Their complaint included two product liability claims, along with allegations involving breach of implied warranties, negligent misrepresentation and indemnity.
The companies alleged that manufacturing defects in the vessel contributed to the blackout before Dali struck the bridge on 26 March 2024. Six road workers were killed in the collapse.
Hyundai Heavy Industries built the vessel in 2014 and delivered it in 2015. The National Transportation Safety Board found during its investigation that a loose wire caused the loss of power. A criminal complaint pending in Maryland also alleges that an unsuitable pump did not restart automatically after the blackout.
Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine filed the civil case in Pennsylvania, where Hyundai Heavy Industries registered as a foreign business in 2002. The court agreed that it had jurisdiction over the shipbuilder.
The proceedings also examined a contract connected to Grace Ocean’s acquisition of Dali from its original owner in 2016. The agreement addressed future construction and warranty claims and provided for disputes to be submitted to arbitration in London.
At a hearing in July 2026, the parties disputed whether Synergy Marine was also subject to that agreement. The court ruled that the contract bound both Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine.
Hyundai Heavy Industries sought dismissal or, alternatively, a stay pending arbitration. It argued that South Korea and Singapore were more suitable locations because relevant evidence and witnesses were based there.
The court dismissed the Pennsylvania claims with prejudice on forum non conveniens grounds, permanently closing the case in that court. It made no ruling on the merits of the product liability allegations.
The decision forms part of the legal proceedings arising from the bridge casualty. Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine have settled a number of civil claims involving the U.S. federal government, Maryland, the families of the workers who died and other parties.
The two companies are also seeking dismissal of remaining civil claims in a Maryland federal court. Those claims mainly involve businesses alleging revenue losses or disruption linked to the incident.
In a separate case, the United States unsealed a criminal indictment in May 2026 against Synergy Marine and a technical supervisor. The charges include conspiracy, maritime safety violations and obstruction through the alleged concealment of information during the investigation.
The criminal trial is scheduled for October 2027. Synergy Marine and the supervisor have pleaded not guilty.
The chief engineer of Dali pleaded guilty to failing to report unsafe conditions aboard the vessel to the U.S. Coast Guard after its arrival in the United States. He received deferred prosecution.
