Family blames Texas’ “merciless” abortion ban for woman’s death, files lawsuit targeting Paxton, doctors

September 15, 2026 / 6:57 PM EDT / CBS News

The family of Tierra Walker, who died of preeclampsia at the age of 37 when she was 20 weeks pregnant, has filed a lawsuit in Texas, saying she was denied an abortion that could have saved her life as her health quickly deteriorated.

Lawyers for Walker's family filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Bexar County District Court accusing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, several of her doctors and others of "deliberate indifference, discrimination, and medical mistreatment [that] ultimately caused her horrific and tragic death" in 2024. Preeclampsia is a severe high blood pressure condition in pregnancy that can be fatal.

Walker's family alleges Paxton — a Republican who is currently running for Senate — and another defendant, Stephen Brint Carlton, executive director of the Texas Medical Board, stripped her of her right to life by imposing "a merciless blanket prohibition" on abortion, while the doctors allegedly failed to offer life-saving medical treatment.

Paxton has been outspoken in his defense of Texas' near-total abortion ban. He has filed lawsuits against doctors and organizations who ship abortion pills to Texas from out of…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/