A federal judge awarded a Buxton widow nearly $1.4 million dollars for the negligence by the medical staff at Togus V.A. hospital in Augusta that took her husband’s life. Attorney Travis Brennan represented the widow of U.S. Army Veteran Roy Palmer at trial. Palmer sought medical help at Togus in 2020 for stomach pains. Yet physicians erroneously administered two medications that should not be given together, and this caused Roy’s heart to stop. Although CPR was successful, he suffered a serious brain injury and spent the last 21 days of his life in and out of consciousness. The award includes pecuniary damages, damages related to the widow’s loss of her husband, and damages related to the Roy’s conscious pain and suffering.
Court documents reveal that the government admitted negligence in Mr. Palmer’s care, acknowledging that this negligence directly caused his cardiac arrest and subsequent death. A bench trial held in January 2025 determined that Mr. Palmer endured conscious pain and suffering for 13 days, during which he exhibited severe discomfort and involuntary muscle spasms.
The financial award includes $175,000 to Mr. Palmer’s estate for his pain and suffering, $750,000 to his widow for the loss of companionship, and additional amounts covering medical costs, totaling $1,380,414.82.
Attorney Travis Brennan, who represented the Palmer family, emphasized the importance of accountability in such cases, stating that while no amount of money can bring Mr. Palmer back, the ruling serves as a step toward justice and may prompt systemic changes to prevent similar tragedies.