Pogust Goodhead’s case against BHP surrounding the Mariana dam disaster has been described by The Guardian newspaper as the “largest group claim in English legal history”. We also think it has the potential to help millions of people around the world.
In a recent article for The Independent, our Global Managing Partner and CEO, Tom Goodhead, said the case wasn’t just about BHP but how many Western multinational corporations had evaded their responsibilities in other parts of the world.
He wrote: “This case isn’t just about BHP and the Mariana dam disaster. For too long, some multinational corporations based in the UK, EU and the US have damaged the environment and communities in other parts of the world without full compensation. We aim to change that.”
The article was written in advance of Pogust Goodhead’s hearing against BHP on 30 March 2023.
Our case against BHP has significance for others in two main ways: “Firstly, we fought to have this case heard in England, despite ongoing cases in Brazil. We argued that, because BHP was headquartered in London, it could be held accountable here, too,” Tom said. “This could open the door to many more such cases.”
Highlighting the size of the claim, Tom continued: “Secondly, this is by far the largest legal case of its kind in the world. We are representing over 700,000 Brazilians in England, and we believe BHP is on the hook for £36 billion in damages to the victims in Brazil.”
Pogust Goodhead hopes to show that victims of environmental and climate disasters have a new route to justice by taking on multinationals on their home turf.
Read Tom’s full article on The Independent’s website.
