BALTIMORE – While a vast affair of responsibility takes shape following fatal collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, the owner and manager of the container ship Dali are seeking to deflect responsibility and shift the blame to others.

Lawyers for Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Group argued in court Tuesday that Maryland state authorities should have better protected the bridge from ship strikes. They also raised questions about whether the shipbuilder installed faulty electrical equipment that caused the Dali to lose power as it approached the bridge.

Meanwhile, lawyers for dozens of plaintiffs seeking damages argued that the immediate focus should be on where the two companies dropped the ball.

“It’s not an offensive tool,” said attorney David Reisman, who represents the state of Maryland. He argued that the court should not consider such allegations from companies this early in the litigation process.

The plaintiffs include the families of six construction workers killed in the collapse, as well as state and local governments, businesses, longshoremen and more. They accused Grace Ocean and Synergy of failing to properly maintain the Dali, ignoring long-standing problems with its electrical system and knowingly sending an unseaworthy vessel into Maryland waters.

Shortly after the March 26 collapse, the companies filed a petition in federal court in Baltimore. seeking to limit their liability. Since then, nearly 50 other entities have filed opposing complaints in the case.

At a planning conference Tuesday, Judge James Bredar questioned attorneys for both sides in an effort to “structure this sprawling and unusual case,” which could become the costliest maritime accident case in history .

Bredar said the ultimate goal is to get the case “on the launchpad for a settlement.” But that could take years. He said an upcoming order would address the first phase of the case, including a timeline and determining the appropriate scope — whether narrowly focused or considering broader issues like civil liability.

William Bennett, attorney for Grace Ocean, argued that the court should consider assigning “significant responsibility and fault” to state officials, among others. He cited “decades of records” showing that the state of Maryland failed to properly protect the bridge, which was built in the 1970s with minimal protection of the piers.

The courtroom gallery was filled with attorneys involved in the case. The discovery process will likely include dozens of hours-long depositions over the next few months, culminating in a bench trial.

It is possible that some federal claims will be resolved in the meantime. Just last week, Grace Ocean and Synergy agreed to pay more than $102 million in cleanup costs to settle a claim filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The payment will reimburse the federal government for money spent to clear massive amounts of debris from the Baltimore Harbor’s main shipping channel, which remained closed for months after the collapse.

After announcing the settlement, a Grace Ocean spokesperson said it was not an admission of liability or wrongdoing.

The Justice Department’s complaint, which has since been dismissed, provided the most detailed account yet of the cascading series of failures that left the Dali’s pilots and crew helpless in the face of impending disaster. The complaint alleged “excessive vibrations” on the ship, which lawyers called “a well-known cause of transformer failure and electrical failure.” Instead of addressing the source of the vibrations, crew members “rigged” the vessel, according to the complaint.

FBI agents boarded the ship in April amid a criminal investigation about the circumstances that led to the collapse.

The Dali was leaving Baltimore en route to Sri Lanka when it lost power and veered off course, hitting the bridge. Six members of a roadworks crew plunged to their deaths. A last-minute call from the ship’s pilots allowed police to stop traffic toward the bridge, but they were unable to alert the workers.

The collapse disrupted commercial shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore, increased travel times for local drivers and left many longshoremen temporarily out of work. Trucking companies and other companies that relied on the bridge anticipate long-term impacts, according to court filings.

The federal case will likely be followed by additional proceedings in Maryland state courts.