ChatGPT Wrongful Death Lawsuits: Can Families Hold OpenAI Accountable?

ChatGPT is widely used for homework, writing, research, planning, and everyday questions. But children and teenagers may also turn to it for something much more personal: talking about depression, loneliness, self-harm, suicide, family conflict, or other serious problems they do not feel comfortable discussing with an adult.

That can become dangerous when a young user begins treating the chatbot as a trusted confidant, counselor, or authority figure. A child may disclose suicidal thoughts, ask for help concealing distress, or become emotionally dependent on the chatbot’s responses.

Families have already filed lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT contributed to the deaths of minors by reinforcing suicidal thinking, providing harmful information, or failing to meaningfully interrupt dangerous conversations.

If your child was seriously harmed or died after using ChatGPT, Morgan & Morgan may be able to investigate what happened. Contact us for a free, confidential case evaluation.

The ChatGPT Wrongful Death Lawsuit Involving a 16-Year-Old

One of the most prominent lawsuits involving ChatGPT was filed by the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who died by suicide in California in 2025.

According to the family’s complaint, Adam initially used ChatGPT for ordinary purposes such as schoolwork. Over time, however, he allegedly began discussing depression, suicidal thoughts, and possible methods of self-harm with the chatbot.

The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT provided increasingly dangerous responses, including information about suicide methods, discussion of the effectiveness of a noose, and advice related to concealing evidence of earlier attempts. The family also alleges that the chatbot offered to help write a suicide note.

The complaint further claims that ChatGPT recognized repeated signs that Adam was in serious danger but failed to meaningfully stop the interaction, alert a responsible adult, or consistently direct him toward immediate human help.

OpenAI disputes responsibility, and the allegations have not been proven in court. The case nevertheless raises difficult questions about what obligations an AI company may have when a child repeatedly uses its product to discuss suicide.

Why Can ChatGPT Be Especially Influential for Children?

ChatGPT is not marketed primarily as an AI companion, but its conversational design can still make it feel personal.

A teenager can speak with the chatbot at any hour, receive an immediate response, continue a conversation without embarrassment, and disclose thoughts they may be unwilling to share with parents, teachers, friends, or counselors.

For a young person who is isolated, depressed, ashamed, or afraid of judgment, that constant availability can make ChatGPT feel unusually safe and trustworthy.

The problem is that ChatGPT is not a licensed therapist, crisis counselor, physician, or responsible adult. It generates responses based on patterns and instructions, and it may misunderstand the seriousness of a child’s situation.

A young user may interpret the chatbot’s tone as genuine understanding, mistake generated information for professional advice, or feel validated by responses that do not adequately challenge dangerous thinking.

That risk may become more serious over extended conversations. One harmful response may be important, but attorneys may also examine whether a pattern of repeated exchanges gradually reinforced hopelessness, normalized suicide, or encouraged a child to continue relying on the chatbot instead of seeking human help.

What Could Support a ChatGPT Wrongful Death Claim Involving a Child?

A potential case would depend on the child’s age, the complete conversation history, the model version involved, the child’s condition, and the safety protections available at the time.

Attorneys may investigate whether ChatGPT:

• Recognized repeated statements about suicide or self-harm
• Provided information that made self-harm easier to carry out
• Discussed methods, lethality, concealment, or planning in unsafe detail
• Helped the child hide distress or earlier attempts from parents
• Reinforced hopelessness or suicidal thinking
• Failed to consistently recommend immediate human intervention
• Continued an emotionally intense conversation after clear warning signs appeared
• Failed to account for the user’s age
• Presented itself in a way that encouraged the child to rely on it instead of a parent, counselor, or medical professional
• Allowed safety protections to weaken during prolonged conversations

Attorneys may also examine what OpenAI knew about the risks of minors using ChatGPT during mental health crises, what testing it conducted, and whether stronger protections should have been implemented sooner.

Potential claims could include wrongful death, negligence, defective product design, failure to warn, negligent misrepresentation, or consumer protection violations. The claims available will depend on the facts and applicable state law.

OpenAI Has Added More Protections for Teen Users

OpenAI has introduced additional safety measures aimed at younger users, including parental controls and protections intended to identify potentially dangerous conversations involving teens.

The company has said that linked parent and teen accounts can allow parents to manage certain settings and receive some safety-related notifications. OpenAI has also described efforts to improve how ChatGPT responds when a young user appears to be experiencing suicidal thoughts or another serious crisis.

OpenAI generally requires users to be at least 13 years old and requires parental permission for users under 18.

These measures may help reduce risk for current users, but they may also become relevant in earlier cases. Attorneys may examine when OpenAI identified particular dangers, when protections were introduced, and whether the safeguards available at the time of a child’s death were adequate.

Preserve Your Child’s ChatGPT Evidence

Chat histories and device records may become some of the most important evidence in a potential ChatGPT wrongful death or serious injury case.

Parents should not delete the account, clear browser data, reset devices, or alter saved conversations before speaking with an attorney.

Other potentially important evidence may include:

• Complete ChatGPT conversation histories
• Exported account data
• Screenshots and screen recordings
• Account and subscription records
• Emails or notifications from OpenAI
• Phones, tablets, computers, and cloud backups
• Browser histories
• Medical and counseling records
• School records and journal entries
• Messages sent to friends or relatives
• A timeline showing changes in the child’s behavior and ChatGPT use

Because ChatGPT models and safety systems change over time, the particular model version may matter. A response generated today may not match what the child received when the harmful interaction occurred.

An attorney may also seek preservation of internal safety flags, moderation information, model records, and other evidence controlled by OpenAI.

Morgan & Morgan Is Investigating ChatGPT Claims Involving Children

Companies that make conversational AI available to children should anticipate that some young users will turn to those products during moments of severe emotional distress.

A child should not be able to repeatedly discuss suicide, concealment, or dangerous plans with an AI system that allegedly continues the conversation instead of directing them toward immediate human help.

Morgan & Morgan is investigating potential wrongful death and serious injury claims involving children and teenagers who were harmed after using ChatGPT and other AI chatbot platforms.

If you believe ChatGPT contributed to your child’s suicide, suicide attempt, self-harm, or other serious injury, contact Morgan & Morgan for a free case evaluation. You may have the right to pursue answers, compensation, and accountability.

Has ChatGPT been sued over a child’s suicide?

Yes. Families have filed lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT contributed to the suicides of minors. One prominent case involves the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who allege that ChatGPT discussed suicide methods, concealment, and other dangerous topics with their son before his death. The allegations remain disputed and have not been proven in court.

Can ChatGPT be liable if it sometimes displayed suicide warnings or crisis resources?

Potentially. A warning may be relevant, but attorneys may also examine whether other messages contradicted that warning, provided harmful information, reinforced suicidal thinking, or failed to meaningfully interrupt the conversation. The complete interaction matters.

What signs might suggest a child is relying too heavily on ChatGPT?

Parents may notice a child spending increasing amounts of time speaking with the chatbot, becoming secretive about conversations, withdrawing from family or friends, relying on ChatGPT for emotional support, or discussing the chatbot as though it understands them better than people in their life. These behaviors do not prove harm, but they may warrant closer attention.

What should parents do with a child’s ChatGPT account after a serious injury or death?

Parents should not delete the account, clear browser data, reset devices, or alter saved conversations. Preserve available chats, screenshots, devices, emails, browser histories, and account records until an attorney can evaluate what may be relevant.

Does OpenAI have special protections for teenagers?

OpenAI has introduced parental controls and additional teen-safety measures intended to address potentially dangerous conversations. The protections available have changed over time, so attorneys may need to determine exactly what safeguards existed when the child was using ChatGPT.

How much does it cost to contact Morgan & Morgan?

Morgan & Morgan offers free case evaluations. If we take your case, you pay nothing upfront, and we only receive a fee if we successfully recover compensation for you.