In August last year, the Renova Foundation implemented a new indemnity flow for categories with hard-to-prove damage caused by the Fundao dam collapse (MG), as per the 12th Federal Court decision. The Court defined locations, values by category of damage, documentation, rules, and criteria.
Having an attorney, a legal representative, is mandatory, and it does not need to be the same person hired for previous actions. You can also be assisted, free of charge, by your state’s Public Defender’s Office. The platform can only be accessed by attorneys, as ordered by Court.
According to the sentence, when the payment is made, the Renova Foundation discounts a maximum of 10% for the attorneys’ fees, and does not interfere, control, or supervise the negotiation between the client and attorney.
The Renova Foundation clarifies that it does not offer any attorney services to assist those affected. It has come to our attention that there have been some cases where people have presented themselves as Renova representatives, but we clarify that this is not true.
Before hiring an attorney, search up information on them. It is important to check their qualifications. That can be done online on the Brazilian Bar Association website (“OAB”), where you can access the National Register of Attorneys. The attorney, when consulted, can provide references and names of clients. This way, you can search for information and confirm.
If someone offers their services as a representative of the Renova Foundation, call 0800 031 2303 and check if the information is accurate.