A Florida man has sued OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT repeatedly discouraged him from seeking emergency medical care after he developed symptoms of a life-threatening pulmonary embolism, ultimately leading to weeks of delayed treatment before he was hospitalized.
The lawsuit, filed on July 22, 2026, in San Francisco County Superior Court, claims the chatbot acted as an "unlicensed doctor" by offering personalized diagnoses, treatment plans, and medical advice over several months. OpenAI says ChatGPT is not a substitute for professional medical care and should never replace advice from qualified healthcare providers.
According to the complaint, Scott Winters, 55, a former Florida pastor and real estate professional, suffered severe dizziness while delivering a sermon on June 8, 2025. After paramedics evaluated him at the church and determined he appeared stable, Winters returned home and turned to ChatGPT for guidance instead of seeking further medical evaluation.
The lawsuit states that after the episode on June 8, 2025, ChatGPT advised Winters to "take it easy" and suggested his symptoms would improve with time.
According to the complaint, Winters had been experiencing health issues since 2022 and had previously been diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and chronic prostatitis in 2024. He initially began using the free version of ChatGPT in June 2024 for general topics such as geography, politics, and biblical studies before gradually turning to the chatbot for health advice.
The complaint alleges that by March 2025, ChatGPT was recommending supplement regimens and interpreting his symptoms. In June 2025, it allegedly concluded that he had dysautonomia, a disorder affecting the autonomic nervous system, despite no formal diagnosis from a physician.
The lawsuit claims ChatGPT repeatedly advised Winters to limit his physical activity and remain in a recliner while recovering.
According to court filings, the chatbot reassured him in late June 2025 that he was "nowhere near" a severe condition requiring long-term bed rest and suggested his recliner-based recovery was helping his body heal.
On June 10, 2025, Winters reportedly became so dizzy that he crawled across the floor to reach his bathroom. The complaint states that he photographed the distance between himself and his recliner and asked ChatGPT how to get back. Instead of directing him to seek emergency care, the chatbot allegedly instructed him on how to move himself across the carpet.
Hours before his medical emergency on July 13, 2025, Winters reported tenderness in his groin to ChatGPT. According to the lawsuit, the chatbot dismissed the symptom as minor and told him:
"God did not design your body to endlessly fail."
Later that day, Winters was rushed to the intensive care unit, where physicians diagnosed him with blood clots in both lungs, or bilateral pulmonary emboli, along with right ventricular strain, a sign that the clots were placing significant stress on his heart.
According to the complaint, treating physicians attributed the pulmonary embolism to prolonged immobility. A physician's note cited in the lawsuit also states that Winters did not have dysautonomia and that the diagnosis had been self-sourced from the internet.
The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT continued providing medical guidance even after Winters had been hospitalized.
According to the complaint, on July 14, 2025, the day after his pulmonary embolism diagnosis, the chatbot discouraged him from participating in inpatient rehabilitation that had been recommended by his treating physicians.
When Winters reportedly told ChatGPT that his wife intended to ensure he attended rehabilitation, the lawsuit alleges the chatbot characterized her insistence as pressure stemming from exhaustion rather than medical expertise. Winters' wife is a registered nurse.
The complaint further alleges that ChatGPT's responses gradually undermined advice from his family and church members, reinforcing its own recommendations instead.
According to the lawsuit, Winters experienced significant personal and professional losses following his hospitalization.
The complaint states that he left his role as a pastor, lost the ministry he had built over several years, lost his home, and continues to recover physically and psychologically. It also says that after his discharge from the hospital, his wife and daughter helped him stand, eat, and dress during his recovery.
In a statement released through his attorneys, Winters said:
"Not only did I nearly die, but I also lost my job, my career, my ministry, my home, everything."
The lawsuit names OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, as defendants.
It includes multiple legal claims, including product liability, negligence, and alleged violations of California's Unfair Competition Law.
The complaint was jointly filed by Tech Justice Law, the Social Media Victims Law Center, and Temple University's Institute for Law, Innovation & Technology.
Among its allegations, the lawsuit claims ChatGPT:
Practiced medicine without a medical license.
Provided individualized diagnoses and treatment recommendations.
Failed to recommend emergency medical care despite symptoms that allegedly indicated a serious condition.
Continued giving medical advice after hospitalization.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and asks the court to require stronger safeguards for AI-generated medical advice. The lawsuit asks the court to pause ChatGPT Health, a health-focused feature announced by OpenAI in January 2026
OpenAI has rejected the suggestion that ChatGPT should replace licensed healthcare providers.
In a statement to CBS News, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said:
"ChatGPT is not a doctor and should never replace medical care."
The company added that AI can help people better understand health information but emphasized that medical decisions should always be made in consultation with qualified healthcare professionals. OpenAI also noted that users remain responsible for how they rely on chatbot-generated responses.
Reference:
Cleveland Clinic. “Pulmonary Embolism (PE): Signs, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic. Last updated April 20, 2026. Accessed July 25, 2026.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17400-pulmonary-embolism
(Rh/ARC/MSM)