The lawsuit filed by Tierra Walker’s family accuses Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, University Health and several doctors of failing to provide medical care. This is care that her relatives say could have prevented her death. Walker died at 37 after developing severe preeclampsia while 20 weeks pregnant.
Per CBS, the lawsuit was filed in Bexar County District Court and alleges “deliberate indifference, discrimination, and medical mistreatment” contributed to Walker’s death. Paxton and Texas Medical Board executive director Stephen Brint Carlton are accused of helping create what the lawsuit calls “a merciless blanket prohibition” on abortion.
Paxton’s office did not respond to requests for comment. University Health said it could not comment on individual patients or ongoing litigation. They said its priority is providing “medically appropriate and timely care” while complying with applicable laws and protecting patient privacy.
Walker’s family says doctors kept refusing the procedure
Walker first learned she was pregnant after going to an emergency room with health problems. Her medical history included high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, and she had previously experienced preeclampsia during a pregnancy involving twins.
Her condition became increasingly difficult. She experienced seizures, nausea, vomiting and pain, and spent much of the following weeks in the hospital while doctors investigated the cause of her symptoms.
The lawsuit says Walker and her relatives raised concerns that continuing the pregnancy could put her life at risk. Her attorneys say she asked about terminating the pregnancy at more than one hospital, including University Health.
The lawsuit alleges hospital staff repeatedly told Walker that “nothing is wrong with the baby.” Her aunt, LaTanya Walker, recalled asking doctors to perform an abortion and said the response was, “It’s her, but it’s not the baby.”
Two doctors documented that Walker faced a high risk of death as her pregnancy continued, according to the lawsuit. She was nevertheless discharged from the hospital and later returned for additional treatment.
When Walker eventually returned to the emergency room with severe preeclampsia, her attorneys say she still was not offered an abortion. Her discharge paperwork stated that delivery could be the best treatment for the condition.
Walker was later found unresponsive at home by her teenage son. An autopsy determined that she died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia, with an enlarged heart, severe fluid buildup in her lungs and kidney damage. The medical examiner found that the fetus had developed normally to roughly 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The lawsuit argues that terminating the pregnancy would have saved Walker’s life. That claim is disputed by Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She said Walker’s death was likely preventable but attributed it to what she described as inadequate medical care rather than Texas’ abortion law.
The lawsuit comes as Paxton is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas. Walker’s attorneys have rejected the suggestion that the lawsuit was timed for political reasons. They instead point to the approaching expiration of the statute of limitations.
Published: Sep 16, 2026 01:45 pm