Family blames Texas' "merciless" abortion ban for woman's death, files lawsuit targeting Paxton, doctors, tell me about this news in (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-abortion-death-lawsuit-tierra-walker-ken-paxton/)

The family of Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old Texas woman who died in late 2024 while 20 weeks pregnant, has filed a wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit targeting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, state medical officials, and several healthcare providers.Key Details of the Lawsuit and Case

• Circumstances of Death: Walker suffered from severe preeclampsiaa dangerous high-blood-pressure complication of pregnancyalong with chronic health issues including hypertension, diabetes, and heart complications. An autopsy determined her cause of death was hypertensive cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia, with severe fluid buildup in her lungs and kidney damage.
• Denial of Care Allegations: The lawsuit alleges that despite documented high risk to Walker’s life, multiple hospital visits, and repeated requests from Walker and her family to terminate the pregnancy to save her life, doctors and staff refused to perform or counsel her on an abortion. According to the family, medical staff repeatedly dismissed her worsening symptoms, attributed them to mental health issues or anxiety, and prioritized fetal survival by telling her that “nothing is wrong with the baby.”
• Role of Texas Laws and “Culture of Fear”: The lawsuit argues that Texas’s near-total abortion ban created a widespread climate of fear among healthcare providers, who face severe criminal penalties (up to 99 years in prison and loss of license) if they perform an abortion. Her attorneys argue this climate caused doctors to withhold necessary, standard medical care and avoid even charting the word “abortion” in medical records.
• Defendants Named: The suit was filed in Bexar County District Court and names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas Medical Board Executive Director Stephen Brint Carlton, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and multiple individual doctors and hospital staff, alleging deliberate indifference, discrimination, and medical malpractice.
• Responses: The hospital system (University Health) stated it could not comment on individual patients or pending litigation, but affirmed a commitment to providing timely, medically appropriate care in compliance with all applicable laws. The Texas Medical Board noted that under its rules, doctors do not have to wait until a patient’s life is in immediate danger to intervene with necessary medical care. Paxton’s office did not provide a comment to CBS News.