A federal judge has agreed to postpone a civil trial over the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge after a flurry of last-minute settlements resolved most of the remaining claims. U.S. District Judge James Bredar was scheduled to hear attorneys’ opening statements on Monday. Instead, he postponed the proceedings indefinitely to consider legal arguments that could lead to further settlements and possibly end the litigation without a trial. Virtually all of the unresolved claims allege economic losses by businesses and local governments. Last week's settlements resolved the remaining claims over the deaths of six construction workers.
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A federal judge has refused to postpone a trial next month for civil claims stemming from the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. U.S. District Judge James Bredar ruled Wednesday that the trial will start on June 1 as scheduled despite the objections of the companies involved in the deadly disaster. The judge heard the request for a delay less than two weeks after prosecutors announced the filing of criminal charges against the companies and an employee. Six construction workers who had been filling potholes were killed in the bridge collapse. Attorneys for victims and their families had urged Bredar to preserve the current schedule for the civil trial.