Damon Davis, a road construction inspector, faced a terrifying moment while supervising repairs on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge when the deck beneath him started crumbling. Miraculously, he managed to flee to safety just before the bridge collapsed into the water. Davis, represented by attorney Billy Murphy, is part of a liability case against the owner and manager of the container ship, Dali, which crashed into the bridge’s supporting column in March.
During the incident, six road crew members working under Davis tragically lost their lives, with another surviving a fall from the bridge. The crew had been filling potholes on the bridge deck when the disaster occurred. Despite a last-minute mayday call from the ship’s pilot that enabled police to stop traffic on the bridge, the crew was not warned in time as they were on a break.
Julio Cervantes Suarez, the worker who survived the fall, managed to escape his sinking truck, while Davis, realizing the bridge was collapsing, ran towards safety, leaving his car behind. Davis, still grappling with the traumatic experience, is mourning the loss of his colleagues and coming to terms with his near-death escape.
Davis is preparing to file a claim against Dali’s owner and manager in the coming days, following a court petition by the companies to limit their liability. The U.S. Department of Justice accused the companies of neglect in allowing the unseaworthy vessel to leave the Port of Baltimore, citing reckless conduct and disregarding electrical issues.
Following the disaster and subsequent legal actions, the Dali has now left Norfolk, Virginia, headed to China on its first international voyage since the incident. U.S. Coast Guard officials are maintaining a safety zone around the vessel as it embarks on its journey. The recent government filing seeking punitive damages adds weight to Davis and other claimants’ cases against the ship’s owner and manager.
The incident, which halted maritime traffic through the Port of Baltimore for months, claimed the lives of six Latino immigrant workers seeking better opportunities in the U.S. Their families, represented by attorneys, are gearing up to file civil claims and advocate for improved workplace safety protections for immigrant laborers in hazardous jobs.
