A U.S. federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the owner and manager of the containership Dali against South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries, ruling that the dispute should be resolved in a different jurisdiction rather than in Pennsylvania. The decision was based on legal venue considerations and did not address the merits of the product liability claims.

The lawsuit was brought by vessel owner Grace Ocean and manager Synergy Marine, which alleged that defects in the ship’s construction contributed to the events leading to the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024. The companies sought to hold Hyundai responsible for alleged deficiencies in the vessel’s electrical systems.

In its ruling, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania determined that the dispute should proceed in another forum. The court found that contractual agreements between the parties, including provisions calling for arbitration in London, as well as the location of key evidence and witnesses in South Korea and Singapore, made another venue more appropriate. As a result, the Pennsylvania case was dismissed without the court examining the underlying allegations regarding the vessel’s design or construction.

The ruling represents another development in the extensive legal proceedings arising from the Dali bridge collision. While several civil claims related to the incident have already been settled, litigation involving remaining claims and other related legal actions continues in multiple jurisdictions. Separately, criminal proceedings against Synergy Marine and one of its technical supervisors remain ongoing in the United States, with both defendants maintaining pleas of not guilty.

The decision does not determine whether Hyundai Heavy Industries bears liability for the vessel’s design. Instead, it establishes that any further legal action concerning those claims must be pursued in the forum deemed appropriate under the parties’ contractual agreements and applicable legal principles.