Full Breakdown
Pastor’s Lawsuit Claims ChatGPT Endangered His Health
7/24/2026, 1:12:50 PM
Core Event: Lawsuit Over Alleged Dangerous Medical Advice
Former Florida pastor Scott Winters, 55, filed a civil complaint in the San Francisco County Superior Court on July 21. The suit accuses OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman of negligence and the “unauthorized practice of medicine.” Winters, represented by the nonprofit Tech Justice Law, seeks monetary damages and an injunction to halt the operation of OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health service until independent safety evaluations are completed.
Background & Context
ChatGPT has been promoted as a general-purpose conversational AI, with recent expansions that let users upload medical records through the ChatGPT Health feature. OpenAI announced the nationwide rollout of this health-focused experience in early July 2026, emphasizing that the tool “supports, not replaces, professional care.” The lawsuit marks the first public claim that the chatbot’s health advice caused direct physical harm. Earlier legal actions have targeted OpenAI for alleged unsafe drug-mixing advice that resulted in a student’s overdose, indicating a growing pattern of litigation over AI-generated health guidance.
Timeline
- 2024 – Winters begins using ChatGPT for health queries, reporting persistent dizziness and blood-pressure swings.
- July 13 2025 – He tells the chatbot about groin pain; the model reportedly labels the symptom “harmless.”
- July 21 – The lawsuit is filed in San Francisco, alleging that the bot’s advice contributed to the subsequent pulmonary embolism.
Data & Statistics
OpenAI reports that weekly health-related queries to its chatbot have risen from 230 million during early testing to 300 million after the full rollout. The company states that 70 % of these queries now occur outside the dedicated health hub, prompting the integration of health data into all chat sessions. OpenAI’s internal benchmarks claim that its newest GPT-5.6 models outperform earlier versions on the HealthBench evaluation, though the service remains non-HIPAA-compliant.
Official Statements & Responses
OpenAI cited its terms of service, which place “sole risk” for any use of its outputs on the user.
Criticism & Opposition
Matthew P. Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, argued that “If ChatGPT were a physician dispensing medical advice, it would be guilty of medical malpractice,” — Matthew P. Bergman.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Filing date: Some outlets describe the complaint as filed on the Wednesday preceding the article, while others cite July 21 as the filing day.
- Model referenced: The lawsuit mentions interactions with ChatGPT-4o, whereas OpenAI’s rollout materials highlight the newer GPT-5.6 Sol model.
- Query volume: Early testing figures cite 230 million weekly health queries; later statements claim 300 million, reflecting rapid growth but leaving the exact timeline unclear.
- Medical causality: The complaint attributes the embolism to immobility encouraged by the bot, yet medical records cited by doctors also note “multiple blood clots” without specifying the chatbot’s role, leaving a gap in definitive causation.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I had serious symptoms of a pulmonary embolism for six weeks that ChatGPT had wrongly attributed to something else,” — Scott Winters
The lawsuit underscores a pivotal tension between rapidly expanding AI health tools and the legal responsibilities of their creators. As OpenAI expands ChatGPT Health to all U.S. users, the outcome of Winters’ case may shape future regulatory and safety standards for AI-driven medical advice.
