A person exposed to even tiny amounts of asbestos who then contracts mesothelioma can claim compensation from those who caused the exposure, the Supreme Court has ruled.

In Sienkiewicz v Greif and Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council v Willmore, all seven judges agreed that unless reasonable steps were taken to prevent exposure, an individual has a claim.

The court said that whether or not exposure was too small to cause mesothelioma, a terminal cancer, is a matter for the trial judge in each case.

Liverpool firm Norman Jones, which represented one of the claimants, said that the ruling ‘sets a precedent for many thousands of asbestos-related cases likely to be brought before the courts in the next 10 to 15 years’.

Merseyside women Enid Costello, who died in 2006, and Dianne Willmore, who died in 2010, contracted mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos. Costello was exposed while working in the offices of packaging factory Greif between 1966 and 1984. Willmore was exposed while a pupil at Bowring Comprehensive School in Merseyside in the 1970s.

Greif admitted using asbestos but denied any breach of duty of care. Knowsley Council denied that it was liable for failing to take precautions.

Norman Jones, principal at Norman Jones, who advised Costello’s family, said: ‘Mesothelioma is at the most serious end of illnesses and people who get it go on to die, there is no getting away from that.

‘This judgment gives the unsuspecting victim who has worked in an environment where they have been exposed to asbestos a chance to be compensated for an illness they have developed through no fault of their own. It is from that point of view a great victory for the common man, and legally it is perhaps the most significant judgment in relation to asbestos cases, as it will put an end to these types of challenges and disputes.’

Ruth Davies, solicitor at north-west firm John Pickering, advised Willmore’s family.

A spokesman for Knowsley Council said: ‘It has always been clear that Mrs Willmore suffered from a severe illness which was caused by exposure to asbestos and the council is, and always has been, extremely sympathetic towards Mrs Willmore and her family.’

Greif declined to comment.