Discovery can continue against DCH and its security contractor while accused shooter Matthew Taylor is temporarily protected from participating.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A judge has allowed a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the husband of slain DCH Regional Medical Center nurse Ada Doss to move forward against the hospital and its security contractor, rejecting a request to broadly pause the civil case while criminal proceedings continue against Matthew Taylor.
The ruling keeps the civil case moving nearly four months after Doss, 27, was shot and killed May 12 while walking to her vehicle after finishing a shift at the Tuscaloosa hospital. Taylor is charged with capital murder in her death. Authorities have said the shooting occurred during an attempted robbery. The criminal case remains pending, and Taylor is undergoing a court-ordered mental evaluation.
Circuit Judge Corey Seale ruled Monday that discovery may proceed against the DCH Health Care Authority and Universal Protection Service LLC, which does business as Allied Universal Security Services. At the same time, the judge protected Taylor from being required to testify, answer discovery requests or otherwise participate in that part of the civil case until further order of the court.
Taylor’s civil attorney, J. Michael Comer, had sought a delay because the civil and criminal cases involve many of the same facts. His filing argued that participation in civil discovery could force Taylor to choose between defending himself in the lawsuit and asserting his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Comer asked at Monday’s hearing for a 60-day stay after an earlier motion sought a pause lasting until the criminal prosecution was resolved.
Lawyers for Andrew Doss, Ada Doss’ husband and the representative of her estate, opposed delaying the broader case. They argued that claims against the hospital and security company should be allowed to develop even if Taylor cannot currently participate. The judge’s order largely adopted that approach, allowing discovery involving the other defendants to proceed while placing limits around Taylor.
The lawsuit filed in June accuses DCH and its contracted security provider of failing to adequately protect Ada Doss before the shooting. It alleges Taylor remained around the hospital campus for an extended period before approaching Doss in a parking lot. Those claims remain allegations and have not been decided by a court.
DCH has disputed important parts of the accounts presented in litigation surrounding the shooting. The health system previously said Taylor never entered its emergency department or another hospital facility, was not registered as a patient and did not present himself for treatment on May 12. DCH has also said security personnel searched for Taylor after being alerted to a man outside the emergency department but initially had no information indicating he posed a threat.
A separate civil action filed on Taylor’s behalf has alleged he was brought to DCH while experiencing a severe psychiatric crisis and was denied an appropriate emergency evaluation or treatment. DCH has disputed that version of events. The differing accounts are among the issues likely to receive greater examination as the litigation proceeds.
Taylor’s mental condition has also become a major issue in the criminal and civil proceedings. A judge previously authorized jail mental health workers to medicate him involuntarily after records described serious behavioral and psychiatric concerns while he was in custody. His attorney said during the latest proceedings that Taylor has experienced severe mental illness, and WVTM reported that Taylor injured himself in custody, including chewing off a finger. He has since been held at Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility for evaluation.
The mental evaluation is expected to help determine whether Taylor is competent to proceed in the criminal case. No finding on his competency or criminal responsibility has been announced. The charges against him remain allegations, and the civil claims against DCH, Allied Universal and Taylor also remain unresolved.
For now, Seale’s order creates separate tracks for the defendants: Taylor is protected from compelled participation in discovery, while lawyers for Doss’ estate may continue seeking evidence related to the hospital and security contractor. DCH has said it will not comment further on the pending litigation out of respect for the legal process and the family’s privacy.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 26, 2026.