Family Sues Texas AG Ken Paxton, Blames Abortion Restrictions for Pregnant Woman’s Death

The family of a Texas woman who died from severe preeclampsia while 20 weeks pregnant has filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, alleging that the state’s strict abortion laws contributed to her death.

Tierra Walker, 37, of San Antonio, died in December 2024 after suffering serious pregnancy complications, according to court allegations and reports about her case. Her family claims she experienced seizures, blood clots and repeated episodes of dangerously high blood pressure as her condition deteriorated.

According to the lawsuit, Walker and her family sought an abortion as her health worsened but were allegedly denied the procedure. Her lawyers argue that an abortion could have ended the pregnancy and potentially prevented her death.

The lawsuit names Paxton, the Texas Medical Board’s executive director, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and several doctors involved in Walker’s care. The family alleges that medical providers were reluctant to intervene because of uncertainty and fear surrounding Texas’ abortion restrictions.

Texas law generally prohibits abortion but includes a medical exception when a physician determines that an abortion is necessary to protect a pregnant patient’s life or prevent serious physical impairment. The Texas Supreme Court has previously stated that the law permits a physician to perform a life-saving abortion when the statutory conditions are met.

The central dispute in the new lawsuit is whether those protections were sufficient in Walker’s case and whether the state’s abortion restrictions contributed to the decisions made by her medical team.

Paxton’s office had not immediately responded to requests for comment reported by news organizations covering the lawsuit. The case is now expected to put renewed attention on how Texas’ abortion laws operate when pregnancy complications threaten a patient’s life.

The lawsuit does not establish that Paxton or the abortion ban legally caused Walker’s death; those claims will have to be addressed through the court process.