# Brumadinho dam disaster legal compensation

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/brumadinho-dam-disaster-legal-compensation
> Updated: 2026-08-25T20:04:56.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

The Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) issued a ruling regarding moral-damage compensation following the 2019 Brumadinho dam collapse. The court determined that compensation for the families of a child killed in the disaster must be based on factors such as actual cohabitation and emotional or economic dependence, rather than just the degree of kinship.

Applying these criteria, the STJ reduced the total award for the family from R$ 1 million to R$ 350,000. While the court affirmed the right of grandparents and uncles to receive compensation, it overturned previous higher figures set by the Minas Gerais state court. Minister Isabel Gallotti noted that while jurisprudence allows for “reflex” moral damages, each claim must be assessed individually based on concrete family ties.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-25: Minas Gerais court holds highway company liable for fatal animal accident

A Minas Gerais court upheld a ruling requiring a highway concessionaire to indemnify a family after a driver was killed by a horse on the BR-262 highway, citing objective liability.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/minas-gerais-court-orders-highway-concessionaire-to-indemnify-family-after-fatal-accident

### 2026-07-30: Brazil's Superior Court cuts moral damages for Vale in Brumadinho dam disaster

Brazil's STJ cut moral‑damage awards for Vale's Brumadinho dam victims, setting R$ 150 k per grandparent and R$ 25 k per uncle, citing cohabitation and dependence criteria.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazils-superior-court-cuts-moral-damages-for-vale-in-brumadinho-dam-disaster

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Cite as: Brumadinho dam disaster legal compensation. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/brumadinho-dam-disaster-legal-compensation