Widower William E. Robaey was recently awarded millions of dollars in a mesothelioma lawsuit that he filed against Felt Products Manufacturing after his wife, Marlena Robaey, died from the rare and fatal form of cancer. Though an appeals court vacated an earlier jury award as deviating from reasonable compensation, the same court upheld the overall jury decision and left the widower with over $10 million in compensation for his past and future losses.
Assisting Her Husband Led to Woman’s Malignant Mesothelioma
Marlena Robaey’s malignant mesothelioma was traced back to her days of working with her husband in the garage. She helped him remove gaskets from his cars, scraping and grinding engine gaskets made by Felt Products and others. She also breathed in asbestos fibers that were left behind on his work clothes and while cleaning the family garage.
Though the company had argued that other companies’ products had created the dust that caused her mesothelioma, evidence submitted during the original trial showed that the dust on the gaskets contained several thousand times the amount of asbestos that is considered safe for human exposure, and even Felt Products’ own experts were forced to agree that the dust contained asbestos in concentrations of between fifty and eighty-five percent.
Mesothelioma Verdict Stands in Face of Appeal
Following the appeal, the compensation that Mr. Robaey will receive from Felt Products for his wife’s mesothelioma death will stand at $4 million for future pain and suffering and $250,000 for future loss of consortium, as well as $5.5 million for his past pain and suffering and $650,000 for past loss of consortium.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease, the challenges can be overwhelming. For assistance in understanding your rights and the resources available to you, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net at 1-800-692-8608.
