Florida pastor sues OpenAI over ChatGPT health advice
Scott Winters alleges ChatGPT told him to stay home before a pulmonary embolism that nearly killed him, while OpenAI says the bot is not a doctor.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
A Florida former pastor says ChatGPT gave him medical guidance with the confidence of a clinician, discouraged him from getting care, and left him “recliner-bound” before a pulmonary embolism nearly killed him.
Scott Winters filed a lawsuit Wednesday in San Francisco County Superior Court against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, CBS News reported. The complaint alleges OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o model made unsafe health recommendations while presenting itself as authoritative, despite not being qualified to diagnose or treat medical conditions.
According to the lawsuit, Winters used ChatGPT in 2025 while trying to understand why he was frequently dizzy. He also told the chatbot he was having episodes of unstable blood pressure.
The complaint alleges ChatGPT treated those symptoms as comparatively minor and advised Winters to remain at home and stay “recliner-bound.” The suit says the bot told him his condition would not be considered serious unless he had eight to 10 additional episodes, and that Winters followed that guidance.
Weeks later, in July 2025, Winters suffered what the lawsuit describes as a “massive pulmonary embolism” caused by blood clots. The complaint says the embolism brought him close to death.
The suit also alleges one of Winters’ doctors blamed his immobility, which the complaint says ChatGPT recommended, for contributing to the embolism.
What the complaint says happened
Winters’ lawyers argue ChatGPT crossed from general information into the unauthorized practice of medicine. The lawsuit claims OpenAI put user engagement and profit ahead of safety and failed to build adequate protections against users relying on bad medical guidance.
The complaint says ChatGPT-4o “frequently opined on and evaluated Scott’s physical condition,” and delivered what sounded like a clinical assessment and treatment advice without the responsibilities of a medical professional.
Winters and Tech Justice Law, a nonprofit assisting him, also accuse OpenAI of exploiting his religious beliefs. The lawsuit says Winters consulted ChatGPT again on the day of his medical emergency, asking whether groin tenderness meant he should go to a hospital.
According to the complaint, the chatbot responded by invoking his spirituality and telling him that “God did not design your body to endlessly fail.” The lawsuit alleges the groin pain was the start of the pulmonary embolism.
Matthew P. Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, said in a statement that Winters nearly died because ChatGPT acted like a medical authority while carrying none of the responsibility.
OpenAI says ChatGPT is not medical care
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told CBS News that ChatGPT is not meant to replace a healthcare provider.
“ChatGPT is not a doctor and should never be used as a substitute for medical care, diagnosis or treatment,” Pusateri said. He said AI can help people find clearer health information, organize questions and prepare for appointments with medical professionals.
Pusateri also told CBS News that blaming chatbots alone for problems tied to someone’s care is misguided and could interfere with access to tools that may help people with health questions.
OpenAI’s terms of service say users accept the risk of using outputs from the service and agree not to rely on them as the sole source of truth or as a replacement for professional advice.
James Grimmelmann, a Cornell Law School professor of digital and information law, told CBS News that disclaimers can protect companies from liability only up to a point. He said a chatbot’s own statements and actions can eventually undermine a disclaimer.
Winters’ legal team is seeking financial damages and stronger safeguards for medical advice from ChatGPT. The lawsuit also asks that ChatGPT Health, OpenAI’s health-question service, be blocked from operating until its safety is evaluated.
OpenAI has faced other health and safety litigation. CBS News reported that in May, a Texas couple sued the company after their son died of an overdose following drug-related queries to ChatGPT, alleging he would still be alive if OpenAI had not bypassed safety guards.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.