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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 ==
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! scope="row" style="width:30%;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" | Case name
| 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" />
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| style="vertical-align:top;overflow-wrap:anywhere;" | Not identified in the sources reviewed.
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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;" | Exact filed date not verified from the available complaint copy<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, Inc.; OpenAI OpCo, LLC; OpenAI Holdings, LLC; Samuel Altman; John Doe employees and investors<ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab" />
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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;" | Complaint published by plaintiffs’ counsel in August 2026; subsequent docket developments not verified.<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>
Complaint published by plaintiffs’ counsel in August 2026; subsequent docket developments not verified.<ref name="case-record-24eb2accee59bbab" />


== Background ==
== Background ==
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== References ==
== References ==
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[[Category:Product Liability]]
[[Category:Product Liability]]

Revision as of 16:25, 7 September 2026

Case Information
Case name Winters v. OpenAI LLC[1]
Court Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco[1]
Docket Not identified in the sources reviewed.
Filed Exact filed date not verified from the available complaint copy[1]
Judge(s) Not identified in the sources reviewed.
Plaintiffs Scott Winters[1]
Defendants OpenAI, Inc.; OpenAI OpCo, LLC; OpenAI Holdings, LLC; Samuel Altman; John Doe employees and investors[1]
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 Complaint published by plaintiffs’ counsel in August 2026; subsequent docket developments not verified.[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.[2][3]


Complaint published by plaintiffs’ counsel in August 2026; subsequent docket developments not verified.[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.[2][3] 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.[2][3]

Claims and Requested Relief

The complaint asserts strict-liability, negligence, unfair-competition, invasion-of-privacy, and negligent-undertaking claims.[2] Winters seeks damages and injunctive relief, including stronger medical-safety guardrails and a pause in ChatGPT Health until independent reviewers determine it is safe.[2][3]

Procedural History

Winters filed the complaint in San Francisco Superior Court on July 22, 2026.[2] OpenAI had not responded to Courthouse News Service's request for comment at the time of publication.[2]

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.[2][3]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Court filing / case record, reviewed September 7, 2026
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Courthouse News Service, "Man sues OpenAI over ‘dangerous’ medical advice from ChatGPT" (July 22, 2026)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Engadget, "OpenAI sued over ChatGPT health advice that almost killed a pastor" (July 22, 2026)
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