- Title: Brazil dam burst victims want money from TUV Sued
- Date: 28th September 2021
- Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 28, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PLAINTIFFS GUSTAVO BARROSO CAMARA (DARK SUIT, RED TIE) AND MARCELO BARROSO CAMARA (BLUE SUIT, GREY HAIR), BROTHERS OF DAM RUPTURE VICTIM IZABELA BARROSO, ATTENDING COURT SESSION VARIOUS OF TUEV SUED LAWYERS SITTING BEHIND DESKS FILES VARIOUS OF LAWYER READING IN FILE VARIOUS OF JUDGES ENTERING COURTROOM AND POSING FOR CAMERAS MEDIA LEAVING COURTROOM (SOUNDBITE) (GERMAN) SPOKESWOMAN MUNICH REGIONAL COURT, CORNELIA KALLERT, SAYING: "The trial is taking place here because TUEV Sued AG, the defendant, is based here in Munich. TUEV Sued AG is accused that a subsidiary in Brazil tested the dam and found it to be safe. Then a few months later it broke. TUEV is also accused of not carrying out the test safely enough, that it was not correct." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (GERMAN) SPOKESWOMAN OF MUNICH REGIONAL COURT, CORNELIA KALLERT, SAYING: "They are quantified claims but they are in Brazilian currency which is why it's different every day since the conversion rate always changes. The total amount in dispute is over 400,000 euros. It fluctuates because of the conversion rate." VARIOUS OF GREY-HAIRED FEMALE PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN READING (GERMAN) "It was not an accident, it was murder!" (SOUNDBITE) (GERMAN) TUEV SUED SPOKESMAN, THOMAS OBERST, SAYING: "The causes of the dam rupture are still unclear today. There is a whole series of investigations and also investigation reports with results, some of which are also contradictory. We are convinced that TUEV Sued bears no legal responsibility and that the stability declarations were prepared in accordance with the applicable Brazilian laws, regulations and technical standards." VARIOUS OF PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN READING (GERMAN) "TUEV Sued is responsible for more than 270 dead" COURT OFFICIAL PUTTING UP NOTE PEOPLE WAITING OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE
- Embargoed: 12th October 2021 10:36
- Keywords: Brazil Germany Munich TUEV Sued court dam
- Location: MUNICH, GERMANY & BRUMADINHO, BRAZIL
- City: MUNICH, GERMANY & BRUMADINHO, BRAZIL
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Europe,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWMUBLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:An environmental catastrophe with around 270 deaths in faraway Brazil is to be dealt with legally in the Munich Regional Court from Tuesday (September 28).
The small town of Brumadinho, over which a toxic mudslide from a broken dam of iron ore giant Vale poured in January 2019, and the family of six of one of the fatalities are claiming damages from Munich-based testing company TUEV Sued.
The reason: Its Brazilian subsidiary TUEV Sued Bureau had falsely confirmed four months earlier that the soaked dam was safe.
TUEV Sued feels it has been unjustly sued. "The causes of the dam burst are still unclear today. There is a whole series of investigations and also investigation reports with results, some of which are also contradictory. We are convinced that TUEV Sued bears no legal responsibility and that the stability declarations were prepared in accordance with the applicable Brazilian laws, regulations and technical standards", said TUEV Sued spokesman Thomas Oberst.
The lawyers filed the suit in Munich because they consider the judiciary in Brazil to be slow and inefficient.
Besides, they can probably expect more money from a billion-dollar corporation like TUEV Sued AG than from a tiny subsidiary in Brazil.
They do not want to quantify the concrete claim for damages until the regional court has clarified whether the parent company is liable at all.
The trial will be held on Tuesday in Munich's Stadelheim correctional facility (JVA) because of the interest in the proceedings in Germany and especially in Brazil. Stadelheim is the largest courtroom in Munich.
(Production: Ayhan Uyanik, Christine Uyanik, Stephan Schepers) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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