Don't Wait for NTSB Dali Final Report – Check Bridges and Waterways Now

Transportation & Infrastructure attorney Benjamin Allen was featured in a Seatrade Maritime News article about the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) preliminary report on the collision of the containership Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. NTSB investigations are not limited to maritime incidents but can also encompass accidents on highways and railways, and the preliminary report touched on those areas. The final report, expected 18 months from now, will delve into bridge designs and potential modifications to prevent future vessel strikes. Mr. Allen expressed doubts that the report would take that long to complete, given the amount of attention the incident has received, but praised the thoroughness of the preliminary report and highlighted the ship's power loss as a key area for investigation. He also emphasized the importance of immediate infrastructure checks for bridge and waterway operators, insisting that these checks should be made now to prevent issues like this in the future.

"If you own or operate a bridge, or a waterway, you don't have to wait for the NTSB to finish its report… you don't need to wait for the recommendations. You should be out there now checking your infrastructure looking at whether you have the protections in place to prevent something like this from happening," he said.

READ: Don't Wait for NTSB Dali Final Report – Check Bridges and Waterways Now