The UK’s Court of Appeal has rejected a claim by 200,000 plaintiffs to revive a 5 billion GBP ($6.9 billion) lawsuit against Vale and BHP Billiton over the Mariana deadly dam waste burst in 2015, according to a media report by Reuters.
A judge in Manchester, UK, dismissed the case in November 2020. At the time, he said the case would be an “abuse” if it proceeded. The plaintiffs claim BHP Billiton ignored safety warnings and disregarded cracks that indicated early signs of rupture.
According to Reuters, the Court of Appeal agreed with the previous court that the group action was “an abuse.”
Tom Goodhead, a lawyer representing the 200,000 plaintiffs, said it was “a sad day for the English justice system,” as the case was now dismissed by the Court of Appeals.