On the evening of May 17, a historic sailing ship from the Mexican navy, ARM Cuauhtémoc, collided with the Brooklyn Bridge in an accident that left two crew members dead and many others injured.
Although the iconic structure escaped major structural damage, the crash has reignited pressing concerns about port safety, risk management, and infrastructure resilience, just a year after the catastrophic Baltimore bridge collapse.
While the two incidents differ in scale and consequences, the similarities in operational vulnerabilities have not gone unnoticed. According to Capt. Rahul Khanna, global head of marine risk consulting at Allianz Commercial, the insurance industry is now more attuned than ever to the compounded risks posed by maritime traffic near critical infrastructure.
This heightened scrutiny comes as the maritime sector continues to face both conventional and emerging threats, from mechanical failures to geopolitical trade tensions.
The Brooklyn Bridge crash may not have caused a collapse, but it sent a jolt through the shipping and insurance industries, which are still recovering from the fallout of the Baltimore disaster. In that 2024 incident, a massive container ship lost control and struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing its complete collapse and leading to multiple fatalities.
The financial implications were staggering, with insurers paying out billions in claims related to infrastructure, cargo, and business interruption.
“This is not just about a rare fluke,” said Khanna. “The Baltimore incident forced the industry to reconsider its assumptions about the safety and stability of port infrastructure. And now, barely a year later, we have another event, albeit on a smaller scale, that again raises the same red flags.”
Initial reports suggest that the Cuauhtémoc lost steering and propulsion, rendering it unable to control its movement in the strong currents of the East River. Despite knowledge that the ship’s masts were too tall to safely clear the Brooklyn Bridge, the vessel drifted backward, snapping its three masts upon impact with the bridge structure.
At least 19 sailors were injured, with two later succumbing to their wounds.
While investigations are ongoing, videos from bystanders revealed that a tugboat was nearby during the crash. This raises critical operational questions, according to Khana: Why was the ship not tethered? Was a contingency plan in place? And if so, why wasn’t it executed?
"Even if the plan was never to go under the bridge, the question should always be asked: what if something goes wrong?" said Khanna. “Was there a risk mitigation strategy? Was there training, coordination, backup?”
In both Baltimore and Brooklyn, the underlying issue isn’t just human error or technical failure; it's a broader lapse in pre-emptive risk assessment. Port authorities, vessel operators, and insurers are being called to reassess safety protocols.
“The most important takeaway from Baltimore was that risk management has to be proactive, not reactive,” said Khanna. “We must anticipate low-frequency but high-impact events. That mindset still hasn’t fully taken hold.”
Khanna said the insurance industry began auditing bridge and port infrastructure more aggressively, reevaluating the terms and risk profiles of policies. Insurers have since demanded more comprehensive risk assessments, particularly for vessels operating near fixed infrastructure such as bridges, piers, and docks.
The Brooklyn incident may well trigger a new round of regulatory reviews and industry introspection, he warned: “We’re likely to see port authorities tightening rules around tug assistance, bridge proximity, and power failure contingency planning.”
One issue resurfacing in the wake of the Brooklyn Bridge collision is whether all vessels navigating near bridges should be required to have tugboat assistance, particularly during approach or maneuvering.
“It’s an expensive measure, no doubt,” said Khanna. “But when you weigh that cost against the lives lost, the reputational damage, and the sheer financial exposure, it's a conversation worth having.”
Currently, tugboat use is discretionary in many ports unless deemed mandatory by harbor masters based on ship size or environmental conditions.
The insurance industry is grappling with how to respond to these incidents from both an underwriting and claims perspective. Following Baltimore, premiums for port infrastructure insurance skyrocketed, and insurers introduced stricter scrutiny of navigation protocols.
“What Baltimore taught us is that these are not one-off events,” said Khanna. “Infrastructure collision claims are more frequent than the public realizes. What’s rare is when they result in catastrophic collapse, but the potential is always there.”
He emphasized that insurers will likely continue to push for higher standards in port-side risk assessments, as well as tighter regulation around foreign vessels entering unfamiliar harbors.
The maritime industry isn’t just contending with physical risks. The 2025 Allianz safety review points to added layers of risk complexity from geopolitical instability and global tariffs.
“Uncertainty is our biggest enemy,” Khanna said. “Shipping routes, supply chains, and even insurance underwriting depend on stable policies. But tariffs are shifting month by month. That makes planning difficult, not just for cargo owners but also for insurers.”
Khanna also highlighted recent moves by the US to restrict China’s dominance in shipbuilding and related industries.
Amid this uncertainty, Allianz’s report indicated that companies are forced to develop multiple contingency plans, seeking alternative trade routes and suppliers in case costs spike due to sudden policy changes.
As vessels grow larger and trade routes become more complex, the stakes around port safety, infrastructure resilience, and proactive risk management are rising accordingly.
"Ultimately, it's not just about preventing ships from hitting bridges,” said Khanna. “It’s about creating a culture of accountability and preparedness: at sea, at port, and in every boardroom that underwrites these risks.”
