The family of Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old woman who died of preeclampsia at 20 weeks pregnant, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Bexar County District Court, according to court documents reported by CBS News. The lawsuit alleges that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and several medical providers enforced a near-total abortion ban that denied Walker life-saving medical care as her health deteriorated in 2024.
Lawsuit Accuses State Officials and Doctors of Medical Mistreatment
According to the lawsuit filed by her legal representation, the defendants subjected Walker to “deliberate indifference, discrimination, and medical mistreatment” that caused her death. Michelle Maloney, an attorney representing the family, told CBS News that Walker died because healthcare providers refused to perform the one medical procedure that could have saved her life due to an intense culture of fear surrounding the state’s abortion ban. Preeclampsia is a severe pregnancy-related high blood pressure condition that can turn fatal if left untreated.
The legal complaint names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Stephen Brint Carlton, executive director of the Texas Medical Board, among others. The filing alleges that state officials stripped Walker of her right to life by imposing a merciless blanket prohibition on abortion. Paxton’s office did not respond to CBS News’ requests for comment regarding the litigation.
Medical History and Hospitalization Details
Walker learned she was nearly eight weeks pregnant on September 19, 2024, during an emergency room visit while working to manage chronic health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, asthma, and Type 2 diabetes. Three years prior, she developed preeclampsia while pregnant with twins, resulting in a stillbirth that sent her into a health spiral, the lawsuit states. By mid-2024, her health had begun improving with lower blood pressure and weight loss aided by a GLP-1 drug.
After being sent home from the emergency room with adjusted blood pressure medications, Walker returned hours later experiencing seizures, nausea, vomiting, and pain. Medical records noted her seizures might have been triggered by pregnancy-related nausea, anxiety, and stress. She spent most of October hospitalized, receiving extensive testing for non-epileptic functional seizures that doctors noted were unrelated to pregnancy or preeclampsia. Her family stated she was repeatedly offered psychiatric treatments during this stay because medical staff attributed her physical symptoms to psychological distress.
Institutional Response and Legal Context
University Health released a statement to CBS News noting it could not comment on individual patients or ongoing litigation. The healthcare system stated that its priority remains providing medically appropriate and timely care while safeguarding patient privacy and complying with all applicable laws and regulations.
The lawsuit highlights the expanding legal and medical fallout surrounding Texas’s abortion restrictions, which took effect in 2022. ProPublica first reported on the specific circumstances surrounding Walker’s death. Attorneys for the family maintain that the prevailing political and medical environment in Texas actively harmed Walker by deterring physicians from intervening during severe pregnancy complications.