A widow who claimed her husband was killed by asbestos inhaled at school while skipping maths lessons has won a payout in the High Court.
David Trimm, 53, died last year after developing mesothelioma, an asbestos-linked cancer.
He claimed he was exposed to asbestos dust the poisonous dust while dodging lessons under the stage in the hall at his school in Liverpool as a teen in the late 70s.
He said he would spend hours a week skipping lessons under the stage, where he breathed in asbestos dust, disturbed from lagged piping.
His widow, mum-of-three Georgia Trimm, 52, sued Liverpool city council for £500,000 over the painter and decorator’s death.
The council denied liability, but has agreed to a confidential payout to settle the case at the High Court in London.
Judge Jeremy Freedman said: “I am delighted for you and your family there is a successful outcome to this litigation and the money will assist to provide a better quality of life than would otherwise have been the case.”
Lawyers for Mrs Trimm earlier claimed that Mr Trimm, from Liverpool, had often been under the stage at Highfield Comprehensive School, now called Broadgreen International School.
He was sent there by teachers to get benches and props for school performances, but also went there to skip lessons for up to ten hours a week.
“It is contended that he was exposed to such dust when moving equipment in and out of the under-stage area and when ‘bunking off from lessons’,” Matthew Phillips QC said.
The city council denied liability, disputing that Mr Trimm suffered exposure at the school, or that old pipework under the stage was lagged with asbestos.
But after a day in court, Mr Browne said the council had agreed to settle Mrs Trimm’s case on a confidential basis.
“We are deeply sorry for her loss and the loss to her family,” he said.
“We very much hope that in some way this will allow her to move on.”
