Reuters reported in November 2025 that London's High Court ruled BHP liable for the 2015 Fundao dam collapse in Brazil.

Why this label

The Reuters report matches the High Court judgment of 14 November 2025^S1S9 and BHP's own release the same day^S3S6. Legal press describes the findings as strict liability as a polluter plus liability on a fault basis^S8. The finding now stands. The Court of Appeal refused BHP permission to appeal on 6 May 2026^S2, and Reuters said the ruling cited ample evidence for the trial judge's findings^S7. The ruling is on liability only. Damages and the effect of Brazilian payments remain for a later trial. Reuters gives April 2027 for its start^S7, and the Court of Appeal text places it in the second part of 2027 into 2028^S2. The earlier October 2026 date^S3S6 has passed without that trial.

Current procedural position

Liability judgment of 14 November 2025^S1. Permission to appeal refused on 6 May 2026^S2. Damages trial expected in 2027, with April 2027 reported by Reuters^S7 and the second part of 2027 into 2028 in the appeal text^S2.

Evidence score: 95 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of BHP Group Limited. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

Timeline

1. 14 November 2025High Court liability judgment^S1
2. January 2026High Court refuses permission to appeal^S7
3. 6 May 2026Court of Appeal refuses permission^S2S7
4. 6 May 2026Court of Appeal text places the next trial in the second part of 2027 into 2028^S2

Related cases

• Município de Mariana and others v BHP Group (UK) Limited and BHP Group LimitedHigh Court of Justice of England and Wales, Technology and Construction Court, and Court of Appeal (Civil Division). Civil. HT-2022-000304 and HT-2023-000058, [2025] EWHC 3001 (TCC), [2026] EWCA Civ 502.Stage: Liability determined. Permission to appeal refused on 6 May 2026. Damages trial expected in 2027^S2S7.
  • January 2026 High Court refuses permission to appeal^S7
  • 6 May 2026 Court of Appeal refuses permission to appeal on liability^S2

Responses

• BHP Group Limited, 14 November 2025: BHP said it intends to appeal and will continue to defend the UK group action.^S3

Revision history

• 25 October 2026 Assessment first published with label Supported.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

1. S6Tier C BHP liable for 2015 Brazil dam collapse, UK court rules in mammoth lawsuitReuters (via Mining Weekly). Press report. 14 November 2025.Reuters report on the ruling and the scale of the claim. The syndicated page shows no byline or date. It gave October 2026 for the damages trial.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
2. S7Tier C BHP can't appeal UK judgment over 2015 Brazil dam collapseReuters (via Engineering News). Press report. 6 May 2026.Reuters report on the Court of Appeal refusal, the January 2026 High Court refusal and the April 2027 damages trial.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
3. S8Tier C Município de Mariana v BHP: Court of Appeal refuses permission to appeal liability findingsSolicitors Journal. Press report. 6 May 2026.Legal press summary of the liability bases and the appeal refusal. It reports that all three limitation grounds were refused. No named author, and its points match the Court of Appeal text.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
4. S1Tier A Município De Mariana v BHP Group (UK) Limited & Anor [2025] EWHC 3001 (TCC)High Court of Justice, Technology and Construction Court. Court judgment. 14 November 2025.Liability judgment. Supports BHP's pleaded position at paragraph 8 and the court's dam findings at paragraph 225. The online text read stopped near paragraph 234, so the liability conclusions were not read directly.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
5. S2Tier A Município de Mariana & Ors v BHP Group (UK) Ltd & Anor [2026] EWCA Civ 502Court of Appeal of England and Wales (Civil Division). Court judgment. 6 May 2026.Refuses permission to appeal on strict liability at paragraph 87 and treats the fault ground as not reasonably arguable. Paragraph 7 places the next trial in the second part of 2027 into 2028. The limitation section was not read.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
6. S3Tier B Update - United Kingdom group actionBHP Group Limited. Company filing. 14 November 2025.Company statement confirming the liability finding, its intent to appeal and its duplication view. It gave October 2026 to March 2027 for the second stage trial, since overtaken.
7. S9Tier A Municipio de Mariana -v- BHP Group (judgment and summary)Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Court judgment. 14 November 2025.Official judiciary page for the liability judgment and its summary. It confirms the citation, case numbers, judge and date. The summary text could not be extracted for this record.Link working, checked 25 October 2026

Other claims about BHP Group Limited

• Contradicted95
  BHP argued at trial in London that it was not a polluter under Brazilian environmental law and breached no legal duty, so it was not liable for the Fundao dam failure.
  Company statement, 14 November 20255 records citedSafety
• Unresolved59
  BHP said in November 2025 that the UK group action duplicates remediation and compensation already provided in Brazil or available under the Brazil agreement.
  Company statement, 14 November 20252 records citedSafety
• Outdated79
  BHP said on 25 October 2024 that the BRL 170 billion Fundao agreement with Brazilian public authorities remained subject to approval by the Brazilian Supreme Court.
  Company statement, 25 October 20242 records citedCorporate status