Dam disaster agreement could curb Brazil lawsuits against Vale, BHP – Reuters

An agreement by Vale (NYSE:VALE), BHP (BHP) and their Samarco joint venture to pay 170B reais (nearly $30B) in compensation for a deadly 2015 dam collapse in Brazil is expected to end more than 100 lawsuits against the companies and perhaps limit legal action abroad, Reuters reported Tuesday.

The agreement does not eliminate the possibility of new lawsuits related to damages if their connection with the dam collapse is proven at some point in the future, but the deal could end many civil actions against the miners in Brazil, and the companies expect that individual requests related to the Mariana disaster will be met in full by 2025, according to the report.

The mining companies reportedly also hope class action lawsuits filed in London and the Netherlands will dry up following the final deal.

The Pogust Goodhead law firm is leading one of the biggest court cases in U.K. legal history to determine whether BHP (BHP) is liable, and the case entered a decisive stage this week with the start of a 12-week trial.

“There is no possibility” the agreement in Brazil could invalidate the trial in England, a partner at Pogust Goodhead told Reuters.