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'''Winters v. OpenAI LLC''' is a California product-liability and consumer-protection case filed on July 22, 2026, in San Francisco Superior Court by Florida pastor Scott Winters against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman. Winters alleges that ChatGPT-4o discouraged him from seeking timely medical treatment for symptoms later diagnosed as pulmonary emboli.<ref name="cn">[https://www.courthousenews.com/man-sues-openai-over-dangerous-medical-advice-from-chatgpt/ Courthouse News Service, "Man sues OpenAI over ‘dangerous’ medical advice from ChatGPT" (July 22, 2026)]</ref><ref name="eng">[https://www.engadget.com/2221044/openai-sued-over-chatgpt-health-advice-that-almost-killed-a-pastor/ Engadget, "OpenAI sued over ChatGPT health advice that almost killed a pastor" (July 22, 2026)]</ref>
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== Case Information ==
{| class="wikitable ailaw-case-info" style="width:100%;margin:0;"
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! Field !! Details
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| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | Winters v. OpenAI LLC<ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab">[https://techjusticelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Winters-Complaint.pdf Court filing / case record, reviewed September 7, 2026]</ref>
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| Case Name || Scott Winters v. OpenAI, L.L.C. and Sam Altman<ref name="cn" />
! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Court
| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco<ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab" />
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| Court || Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco<ref name="cn" />
! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Docket
| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | CGC-26-639579<ref name="queue-winters">[https://lawsuit.center/case-filings/winters-v-openai-complaint.pdf Winters complaint, No. CGC-26-639579, court-stamped August 3, 2026, p. 1]</ref>
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| Filed || July 22, 2026<ref name="cn" />
! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Filed
| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | August 3, 2026 (date stamped on the reviewed complaint)<ref name="queue-winters" /><ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab" />
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| Plaintiff || Scott Winters<ref name="cn" />
! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Judge(s)
| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | Not identified in the sources reviewed.
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| Defendants || OpenAI, L.L.C. and Sam Altman<ref name="cn" />
! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Plaintiffs
| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | Scott Winters<ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab" />
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| Claims || Strict liability; negligence; violation of California's unfair competition law; invasion of privacy; and negligent undertaking against Altman<ref name="cn" />
! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Defendants
| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | OpenAI Foundation (formerly OpenAI, Inc.); OpenAI Group PBC (formerly OpenAI OpCo, LLC); OpenAI Holdings, LLC; Samuel Altman; John Doe employees and investors<ref name="queue-winters" />
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| Status || Pending<ref name="cn" />
! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Case type
| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | Civil personal-injury / product-liability action<ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab" />
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! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Claims / issues
| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | Product liability, negligence, unfair competition and privacy claims concerning ChatGPT medical advice<ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab" />
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! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Status
| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | Reviewed complaint court-stamped August 3, 2026; subsequent docket developments not verified.<ref name="queue-winters" /><ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab" />
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'''Winters v. OpenAI LLC''' is a California product-liability and consumer-protection case brought in San Francisco Superior Court by Florida pastor Scott Winters and reported in July 2026 against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman. Winters alleges that ChatGPT-4o discouraged him from seeking timely medical treatment for symptoms later diagnosed as pulmonary emboli.<ref name="cn">[https://www.courthousenews.com/man-sues-openai-over-dangerous-medical-advice-from-chatgpt/ Courthouse News Service, "Man sues OpenAI over ‘dangerous’ medical advice from ChatGPT" (July 22, 2026)]</ref><ref name="eng">[https://www.engadget.com/2221044/openai-sued-over-chatgpt-health-advice-that-almost-killed-a-pastor/ Engadget, "OpenAI sued over ChatGPT health advice that almost killed a pastor" (July 22, 2026)]</ref>
Reviewed complaint court-stamped August 3, 2026; subsequent docket developments not verified.<ref name="queue-winters" /><ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab" />


== Background ==
== Background ==
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== Procedural History ==
== Procedural History ==
Winters filed the complaint in San Francisco Superior Court on July 22, 2026.<ref name="cn" /> OpenAI had not responded to Courthouse News Service's request for comment at the time of publication.<ref name="cn" />
The reviewed complaint bears a San Francisco Superior Court filing stamp dated August 3, 2026 and case number CGC-26-639579.<ref name="queue-winters" /> The July-dated news reports linked here predate that stamp and do not establish the filing date of this copy. OpenAI had not responded to Courthouse News Service's request for comment at the time of publication.<ref name="cn" />


== Significance ==
== Significance ==
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== References ==
== References ==
<references />
<references />
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[[Category:Product Liability]]
[[Category:Product Liability]]

Latest revision as of 21:36, 7 September 2026

Case Information
Case name Winters v. OpenAI LLC[1]
Court Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco[1]
Docket CGC-26-639579[2]
Filed August 3, 2026 (date stamped on the reviewed complaint)[2][1]
Judge(s) Not identified in the sources reviewed.
Plaintiffs Scott Winters[1]
Defendants OpenAI Foundation (formerly OpenAI, Inc.); OpenAI Group PBC (formerly OpenAI OpCo, LLC); OpenAI Holdings, LLC; Samuel Altman; John Doe employees and investors[2]
Case type Civil personal-injury / product-liability action[1]
Claims / issues Product liability, negligence, unfair competition and privacy claims concerning ChatGPT medical advice[1]
Status Reviewed complaint court-stamped August 3, 2026; subsequent docket developments not verified.[2][1]

Winters v. OpenAI LLC is a California product-liability and consumer-protection case brought in San Francisco Superior Court by Florida pastor Scott Winters and reported in July 2026 against OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman. Winters alleges that ChatGPT-4o discouraged him from seeking timely medical treatment for symptoms later diagnosed as pulmonary emboli.[3][4]


Reviewed complaint court-stamped August 3, 2026; subsequent docket developments not verified.[2][1]

Background

Winters alleges that he consulted ChatGPT-4o about recurrent dizziness and other symptoms over approximately six weeks and that the chatbot characterized the symptoms as non-dangerous rather than directing him to urgent medical care.[3][4] He alleges that the chatbot drew on his religious identity and discounted concerns raised by family and church members, contributing to delayed treatment for a pulmonary embolism.[3][4]

Claims and Requested Relief

The complaint asserts strict-liability, negligence, unfair-competition, invasion-of-privacy, and negligent-undertaking claims.[3] Winters seeks damages and injunctive relief, including stronger medical-safety guardrails and a pause in ChatGPT Health until independent reviewers determine it is safe.[3][4]

Procedural History

The reviewed complaint bears a San Francisco Superior Court filing stamp dated August 3, 2026 and case number CGC-26-639579.[2] The July-dated news reports linked here predate that stamp and do not establish the filing date of this copy. OpenAI had not responded to Courthouse News Service's request for comment at the time of publication.[3]

Significance

The case asks a state court to apply existing product-liability, negligence, privacy, and consumer-protection doctrines to allegedly harmful medical guidance generated by a consumer chatbot.[3][4]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Court filing / case record, reviewed September 7, 2026
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Winters complaint, No. CGC-26-639579, court-stamped August 3, 2026, p. 1
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Courthouse News Service, "Man sues OpenAI over ‘dangerous’ medical advice from ChatGPT" (July 22, 2026)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Engadget, "OpenAI sued over ChatGPT health advice that almost killed a pastor" (July 22, 2026)
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