A Buxton woman who brought a medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government for her husband’s death has been awarded $1.3 million by a federal judge.
Roy Palmer was complaining of abdominal pain when his wife, Janet, dropped him off at the Togus VA Medical Hospital in Augusta in April 2020. Palmer, who was 69 years old and a U.S. Army veteran, was prescribed high doses of pain medication along with a sedative that led to his cardiac arrest and brain damage. The government later admitted that it was negligent in his care and treatment.
Palmer was transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he slipped in and out of consciousness, able to respond to commands but unable to verbally communicate. He died three weeks after first being admitted to Togus.
Because COVID restrictions were in place, his wife was only able to visit with him once and he spent the rest of the time in isolation.
After careful consideration, U.S. District Judge Stacey Neumann said she would award $175,000 for Roy Palmer’s “conscious pain, suffering and mental anguish.” She awarded $450,000 for economic losses and $750,000 for Janet Palmer’s loss of companionship.