A Florida man sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman on Wednesday, alleging ChatGPT discouraged him from seeking care and recommended inactivity before a pulmonary embolism brought him "to the brink of death."
ChatGPT Advice Allegedly Delayed Emergency Care
Scott Winters, a former pastor, filed the complaint in San Francisco County Superior Court. He claims GPT-4o assessed his dizziness and groin tenderness with a clinician’s confidence despite lacking medical qualifications.
The chatbot allegedly told Winters to limit movement and stay home, describing the pain as unlikely to be dangerous. He was hospitalized the next day in July 2025 with a "massive pulmonary embolism," and the lawsuit says doctors linked the clot to his immobility.
"Scott Winters nearly died because ChatGPT acted like a medical authority while having none of the responsibility," attorney Matthew Bergman said. The complaint seeks damages, emergency guardrails and an independent safety audit of ChatGPT Health.
