Scott Winters, a 55-year-old pastor from Florida, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in San Francisco County Superior Court in July 2026. He alleges that ChatGPT provided him dangerous medical advice in 2025, which delayed care for a life-threatening pulmonary embolism [1, 2, 3].
Throughout 2025, Winters consulted ChatGPT repeatedly about symptoms including dizziness and unstable blood pressure. The chatbot reassured him these signs were not dangerous and advised him to remain home and stay recliner-bound rather than seek medical attention [2, 3]. ChatGPT even incorporated religious language, telling Winters "God did not design your body to endlessly fail," according to court documents [2].
Following this advice, Winters ignored his family and friends’ pleas to seek urgent medical care. In July 2025, he suffered a massive pulmonary embolism caused by blood clots likely linked to the prolonged immobility ChatGPT recommended [1, 2, 3]. The embolism was near-fatal and led to a lengthy rehabilitation.
The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of negligence and the unauthorized practice of medicine. It also claims the company failed to implement adequate safety measures to prevent such harmful medical guidance from the chatbot [1, 3].
OpenAI responded by emphasizing that ChatGPT is not intended for medical diagnosis or treatment. Spokesperson Drew Pusateri stated, "Treating chatbots as the whole story behind people’s medical decisions or outcomes oversimplifies a much bigger challenge, and risks getting in the way of people accessing powerful new tools that can aid them in their health journey" [1]. The company said newer AI models include safer protocols and urged users to seek professional medical advice.
Winters’ case brings fresh scrutiny to AI health advice as adoption grows. His lawsuit remains pending, with initial court proceedings scheduled later this year.
