Dilara Hamit
23 July 2026•Update: 23 July 2026
A Florida man has sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging medical advice provided by ChatGPT discouraged him from seeking treatment for symptoms that preceded a near-fatal pulmonary embolism.
Scott Winters, a former pastor, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in San Francisco County Superior Court. He claims ChatGPT-4o crossed the line from providing general information to practicing medicine without a license.
According to the lawsuit, Winters consulted the chatbot in 2025 after regularly experiencing dizziness and unstable blood pressure. ChatGPT allegedly downplayed the symptoms, advised him to stay home and remain “recliner-bound,” and suggested he would need to experience several more episodes before his condition should be considered serious.
Winters followed that guidance, the lawsuit says. Several weeks later, in July 2025, he suffered a massive pulmonary embolism caused by blood clots and was brought “to the brink of death.”
The complaint claims one of his doctors linked the embolism to his prolonged immobility, which Winters alleges was recommended by ChatGPT.
Hours before the medical emergency, Winters also reportedly asked the chatbot whether tenderness in his groin warranted a hospital visit. The lawsuit alleges the pain was an early sign of the pulmonary embolism.
Winters’ legal team accuses OpenAI of prioritizing engagement and profit over safety and failing to install adequate safeguards around medical advice. The lawsuit seeks financial damages, stronger guardrails and a suspension of ChatGPT Health pending a safety evaluation.
