Mariana Dam Class Action Lawsuit
11
victim interviews in major news outlets
80
pieces of coverage
700,000+
impressions overall
700,000
claimants represented
Why it mattered
In 2015, the collapse of Brazil’s Mariana (Fundão) Dam caused the largest environmental disaster in the country’s history. A wave of toxic mining waste – visible from space – killed 19 people, destroyed entire communities including Bento Rodrigues and Paracatu de Baixo, and poisoned the Doce River, a lifeline for generations of families and livelihoods.
Over a decade later, global class action firm Pogust Goodhead secured a landmark victory representing over 700,000 victims in the largest class action lawsuit ever heard in the UK.
In November 2025, the High Court ruled mining giant BHP liable for the disaster in a defining moment for corporate accountability and environmental justice that reached communities devastated thousands of miles from the courtroom.
This unprecedented victory demonstrates that justice, though long delayed, can prevail for those who have suffered most.
How we brought the story into focus
PHA partnered with Pogust Goodhead to cut through the legal complexity and ensure this case was understood for what it truly was – a fight for justice on behalf of hundreds of thousands of people whose lives were shattered. Our role was to raise awareness, explain why the case was being heard in London, and most critically, keep the voices of those affected at the centre of the public conversation.
We built our strategy around a fundamental principle: people, not process, would move understanding. We centred the voices of survivors – those who lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods, elevating the case beyond legal argument into a story of loss, resilience and determination.
We supported the launch of Dead River, a podcast series hosted by BBC presenter Liz Bonnin, which tells the story through affected communities, investigative voices and the legal team challenging BHP. Alongside this, we led targeted media engagement, briefing journalists on the scale of the disaster, the legitimacy of the UK proceedings, and the human cost behind the claims.
By foregrounding survivor testimony and building public understanding rooted in lived experience, we helped counter corporate defence narratives and reinforced what was truly at stake: not just compensation, but justice and accountability for one of the worst environmental disasters in history.
The impact: A defining moment for justice
The campaign helped transform a complex legal case into one of the most significant environmental justice stories of the decade, securing sustained national and international attention ahead of the trial:
- Double-page spread in the Daily Express
- 11 interviews across national and key trade media, including BBC, Financial Times, Reuters, Daily Mail, The Sun, Metro, PA Media and Mail on Sunday
- Ongoing coverage and long-term engagement with Sky News, The Guardian, The Times and Bloomberg
- 700,000 impressions generated over the course of the campaign
In November 2025, the High Court delivered a landmark ruling: BHP was found liable for the dam’s collapse under both Brazilian Environmental Law and the Brazilian Civil Code. Justice O’Farrell concluded that the disaster was caused by BHP’s negligence and imprudence, rejecting the company’s attempts to evade responsibility.
This case now stands as a defining precedent, proof that global bad actors cannot outrun justice, and that the voices of those harmed will not be silenced.