A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Ann Altman against her brother, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, after the plaintiff declined to attend an independent medical examination ordered in the case.
Court ruling
The dismissal came after the US district court found that Ann Altman's refusal to comply with the court-ordered medical evaluation justified terminating the action. The judge concluded that the plaintiff’s failure to participate in the examination prevented the case from moving forward and warranted dismissal under the applicable procedural rules.
Background
Ann Altman had filed the suit against her brother; details of the original claims were part of the court record but were not at issue in the judge’s recent procedural ruling. The independent medical examination had been ordered as part of routine fact-finding in the litigation, a step commonly used when a party’s medical condition is relevant to the claims or defenses.
Legal context and next steps
Courts routinely require parties to submit to independent medical examinations when a plaintiff’s physical or mental condition is contested; refusing such an order can lead to sanctions, including dismissal. It was not immediately clear whether Ann Altman intends to seek reconsideration of the ruling or to appeal the decision. Representatives for the parties did not make further comments in the immediate aftermath of the order.