Texas family sues Attorney General Paxton and doctors over denied abortion that led to death

Tierra Walker, who was 20 weeks pregnant, died in 2024 from complications of preeclampsia after her family says she was denied an abortion that could have saved her life. The lawsuit, filed in Bexar County District Court, names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas Medical Board executive director Stephen Brint Carlton, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and several physicians as defendants, alleging deliberate indifference and medical mistreatment.

According to the complaint, Walker repeatedly requested termination of her pregnancy in October, but hospital staff refused, citing a “culture of fear” surrounding the state’s near-total abortion ban. Medical records show she was hospitalized, diagnosed with non-epileptic seizures, and repeatedly offered psychiatric care instead of addressing the pregnancy risk. The plaintiffs argue that hospital personnel dismissed her concerns, stating the baby was fine, while her condition deteriorated, ultimately leading to her death. The suit is filed just before the two-year statute of limitations expires, and the attorneys assert that civil-rights laws allow officials to be held personally liable for a citizen’s death.