Texas abortion ban caused pregnant woman's death, lawsuit claims

The family of Tierra Walker has sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and doctors who treated her, alleging that the state's near-total ban on abortion led to her death from a pregnancy-related condition. The lawsuit, filed in state court in San Antonio, claims Walker's doctors refused her requests for an abortion despite her experiencing a medical emergency that qualified for an exception under Texas law.

Walker, who was 37 and 20 weeks pregnant, died in December 2024 from preeclampsia, a potentially fatal pregnancy complication. The lawsuit states that the treatment for preeclampsia is immediate delivery or abortion, and Walker qualified for an emergency abortion. Instead, she was reportedly told her condition would improve and sent home.

The lawsuit asserts that Paxton and other state officials have created a "merciless blanket prohibition on abortion" that intimidates doctors and creates fear within the medical community. Named as defendants alongside Paxton are the Texas Medical Board, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and several doctors involved in Walker's care. Texas' 2021 laws prohibit abortions except for life-threatening medical emergencies and allow private citizens to sue providers on behalf of the state. The lawsuit contends these bans violate Walker's constitutional rights to life and a federal law requiring emergency care.