On January 29, 2025, Attorney Travis Brennan concluded a wrongful death/medical malpractice trial in the U.S. District Court in Maine. Attorney Brennan represented the widow of army veteran, Roy Palmer. Mr. Palmer received negligent medical treatment at the Togus VA Hospital in Augusta, Maine between April 6 and April 9, 2020. As a result of the negligent treatment, Mr. Palmer experienced a cardiac arrest. Even though his heart was successfully restarted, he suffered a permanent brain injury that resulted in his death on April 30, 2020.
The trial comes almost five years after Mr. Palmer’s death. Because Togus VA Hospital is part of the federal government, the claims were subject to the Federal Tort Claims Act, which is a federal statute that outlines a process and procedure for any claims against the federal government. In most cases, a party has a right to a jury trial; however, the Federal Tort Claims Act provides that all claims against the U.S. shall be decided by a judge. Judge Stacey Neumann presided over the trial and will take the evidence and arguments under advisement before issuing a decision.
Attorney Brennan and the team at Berman & Simmons are also involved in another high-profile Federal Tort Claims Act case involving the victims and families of the Lewiston Mass Shooting.