Case openai-chatgpt-epilepsy-death-suitChatbot harmUnited States
Wrongful death suit alleges ChatGPT medical advice killed woman with epilepsy
Social Media Victims Law Center and The Schenk Law Firm allege in a wrongful death lawsuit that ChatGPT's medical advice resulted in the death of a woman with epilepsy. Claims are unproven.
CriticalHarm caused by AIStatus: Under investigationVerified case file
Open in the interactive mapCite this case
- Reported
- Oct 27, 2026
- Location
- United States
- Target
- Woman with epilepsy who used ChatGPT for medical advice
- Severity
- Critical
- Verification
- Reported by credible press or researchers
- Triggered by
- OpenAI (ChatGPT)
- Actor type
- AI product design / safeguards
- Sector
- Individuals & consumers
- Reported loss
- None reported
- CVE
- None
What happened
Social Media Victims Law Center and The Schenk Law Firm allege in a wrongful death lawsuit that ChatGPT's medical advice resulted in the death of a woman with epilepsy. Claims are unproven.
Impact: Death of a woman with epilepsy, as alleged by plaintiffs' lawyers in the lawsuit.
Who triggered it
Actor: OpenAI (ChatGPT)
Attribution: Alleged by plaintiffs' counsel (Social Media Victims Law Center, The Schenk Law Firm) in a Business Wire release; no court ruling reported.
Motive: Unknown
How it happened
Attack vector: Alleged reliance on ChatGPT's medical advice about the woman's epilepsy, per plaintiffs.
Root cause: Plaintiffs allege ChatGPT gave harmful medical advice; no court findings on cause.
Timeline
- Reported by Business Wire
Response
Wrongful death lawsuit filed against OpenAI by the Social Media Victims Law Center and The Schenk Law Firm. OpenAI's response is not stated.
Current status: Under investigation
Research warnings this case matches
- Seen in real incidents People's trust in AI companions turns harmful · CAIS
- Early signs Relying on AI companions harms some users · International AI Safety Report
- Early signs Many people lean on AI for emotional support · UK AISI
- Seen in real incidents Human-computer interaction · MIT AI Risk Repository
Compared with published AI risk research from several institutes on the Research vs reality page.
Sources (open in a new tab)
- Business Wire news.google.com
- Social Media Victims Law Center (Business Wire release) socialmediavictims.org
- BankInfoSecurity bankinfosecurity.com
Cite this case
Wrongful death suit alleges ChatGPT medical advice killed woman with epilepsy. AI Threat Watch, case openai-chatgpt-epilepsy-death-suit, Oct 27, 2026. https://aithreat.io/cases/openai-chatgpt-epilepsy-death-suit/
Permanent link: https://aithreat.io/cases/openai-chatgpt-epilepsy-death-suit/
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