Family Sues Texas Officials, Blames Abortion Ban for Mother's Death From Preeclampsia

San Antonio, Texas — The family of 37-year-old Tierra Walker has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in Bexar County, alleging that Texas officials and hospital staff denied her a life‑saving termination while she suffered severe preeclampsia at about 20 weeks' gestation in 2024.

What the Lawsuit Says

Filed Tuesday in Bexar County District Court, the complaint names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (University Health), several treating physicians, and officials from the Texas Medical Board. The family alleges "deliberate indifference, discrimination, and medical mistreatment [that] ultimately caused her horrific and tragic death." The filing accuses some defendants of enforcing what it calls a "merciless blanket prohibition" on abortion and creating a "culture of fear" that prevented clinicians from offering abortion as a life‑saving option.

Medical Timeline

Walker learned she was nearly eight weeks pregnant on Sept. 19, 2024, during an emergency-room visit. She had a history of chronic conditions — including obesity, hypertension, asthma and type 2 diabetes — and a prior pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia that resulted in stillbirth three years earlier.

By mid‑2024 her health had been improving. In October she was hospitalized after seizures, nausea and severe symptoms; clinicians documented extensive testing and described the seizures as non‑epileptic. Family members say Walker repeatedly told clinicians she believed continuing the pregnancy could cost her life and asked about termination. According to the family's attorneys, Walker first sought an abortion on Oct. 12 at another hospital and again at University Health on Oct. 30, at roughly 11 weeks' gestation.

Medical records reviewed by news outlets show that in late October and early November two physicians documented she was at "high" risk of death. Despite that, Walker was discharged several times and ultimately returned to the emergency room on Dec. 27, when she was diagnosed with preeclampsia. Her discharge paperwork reportedly noted that delivery — at that gestational age, meaning termination of the pregnancy — might be the best treatment. Days later, her teenage son found her unresponsive on his 15th birthday. An autopsy listed hypertensive cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia as causes of death and noted severe organ damage.

Tierra Walker with her husband, Eric. / Credit: Family photo

Responses and Positions

University Health said it cannot comment on individual patients or ongoing litigation but emphasized it aims to provide "medically appropriate and timely care" while protecting patient privacy and complying with applicable laws. The Texas Medical Board said its rules allow physicians to provide necessary care for emergent or potentially emergent conditions and that such care may, in some cases, include terminating a pregnancy.

Attorney Michelle Maloney, representing the family, told reporters the family believes Walker would have survived if clinicians had offered or provided a termination when requested. Attorneys for the family say clinicians often avoid documenting conversations about abortion out of fear of legal consequences.

Expert Reaction and Legal Context

Medical experts who reviewed the case for news organizations criticized the decision to discharge Walker while she presented signs of severe preeclampsia. Dr. Céline Gounder said Walker "should have been admitted, stabilized and given medicine to prevent seizures," and that termination would likely have been appropriate given the fetus's early gestational age. Other clinicians consulted described the case as a failure of care, though some, including Dr. Christina Francis of a pro‑life obstetric group, attributed the death to inadequate clinical management rather than the state law itself.

Texas' near‑total abortion ban took effect in 2022 and included a life‑of‑the‑mother exception. In 2025 lawmakers passed the Life of the Mother Act to clarify medical exceptions and offer protections intended to reassure clinicians, but surveys indicate many Texas OB‑GYNs remain concerned about legal risks when providing abortions as life‑saving treatment.

Next Steps

The family seeks accountability from state officials and health providers. Attorneys for Walker's family say the civil‑rights lawsuit must be filed before an approaching statute of limitations deadline. A spokesperson for the Bexar County district attorney, who is also named in the suit, said the office has not prosecuted abortion cases and will review matters carefully.

Family Statement: "At every turn, Texas's political and medical establishments not only failed but actively harmed Ms. Walker," the complaint asserts. When asked what she would say to Attorney General Paxton, Walker's aunt replied bluntly: "Honestly, go to hell."