Mariana dam disaster claim gains media attention after landmark judgment released

July 22, 2022

In a landmark judgment released on 8 July 2022, over 200,000 claimants have been given the go-ahead to pursue litigation in the courts of England and Wales over the Mariana dam collapse.

The Court of Appeal unanimously granted jurisdiction in the English courts to hear the case against one of the biggest companies in the world, BHP, in what is the largest ever group claim in England.  

The failure of the Mariana dam, which held toxic mining waste, changed the course of the claimants’ lives forever, but they are now one step closer to justice, ensuring BHP will have to account for their role in the 2015 disaster. 

In a 107-page unanimous judgment, the Court of Appeal has allowed hundreds of thousands of Brazilians, represented by Pogust Goodhead, the possibility to finally see justice for the deadly disaster. 

The monumental ruling received worldwide attention, with many media outlets considering the impact the judgment will have. 

The Mariana dam disaster case was featured widely in the UK press, with the Financial Times,  The Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, and The Guardian reporting on the findings of the court, as well as legal press Law 360, and Law Gazette. 

Given the worldwide impact of the case, the coverage did not stop there, with the ruling featuring in an array of prestigious media outlets internationally, including in Brazil: Folha de SP , Globo, Valor Econômico, Metrópoles, IstoÉ ,Veja and Estado de Minas 

The lawsuit seeks to hold the BHP group accountable for its role in the collapse of the Mariana dam in England, where BHP was headquartered at the time of the collapse.  

It is time for BHP to do the right thing, live up to their stated values, and provide justice for the victims. If you are a client in the claim, please use the client portal to confirm your details as soon as possible. 

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