re: Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has collapsed - container ship wrecked into it

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Not going to be much money paid out, maritime law limits the liability amount to no more than the value of the ship at fault….. basically the owner of the ship will hand over the deed and move on, US taxpayers on the hook for everything else

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Maybe not. The Limitation of Liability Act of 1851 AKA 46 USC § 30501 does limit liability to the value of the ship however things like previous knowledge of a mechanical issue that is a causative factor in the incident will remove that liability shield. There were reports of an interview with a harbor maintenance worker that said MV Dali had electrical issues caused by the refrigerated reefers onboard while moored that were being addressed. If substantiated this might be enough to get past Section 30501. I should point out that admiralty law is not in my wheelhouse ( ) so I can't cite chapter and verse in case law but I am willing to bet this incident results in lengthy complex litigation. A couple of admiralty firms are going to see some really fat increases in profit per equity partner and resulting bonuses for years to come.