"Three years on from Brumadinho dam disaster TÜV SÜD face €400 million lawsuit", 1 Feb 2022

On the third anniversary of the Brumadinho dam collapse in Brazil, PGMBM and Manner Spangenberg lawyers acting on behalf of victims of the disaster say the claims filed against German safety regulators TÜV SÜD has now reached over €400million.

This week, the court in Munich has allowed the addition of over 1,100 new claimants…

The failure of the dam in Brazil on 25 January 2019 meant around 12 million cubic meters of highly toxic ore mud was released…

Resulting in the deaths of 270 people, it was the second most significant humanitarian and environmental disaster in Brazil in less than five years.

In the landmark case, PGMBM, representing the victims, are bringing action against German services firm TÜV SÜD.

TÜV SÜD certified the safety of the dam, which did not meet minimum safety standards, and allowed the continued operation of the dam and mine, which ultimately led to the disaster.

Three years since the collapse, the people of Brumadinho continue to live under a cloud of toxic waste, destroyed villages, and polluted water.

Claimants are seeking damages relating to the disaster and a declaratory ruling that TÜV SÜD is obligated to compensate for all further damages related to the disaster – putting the claim in the €400 million range.

The judgement in the case has been postponed from 1 February while the court has granted the joinder and invited the parties to submit further explanations on select issues.

Major litigation relating to environmental disasters in Brazil is extremely inefficient…

However, TÜV SÜD’s misconduct means they can be held liable in the German courts at their Munich corporate seat to compensate victims for damages under applicable Brazilian Law.