If you or a loved one developed a serious infection after a colonoscopy, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, laparoscopy, or ureteroscopy, the medical scope used during your procedure may be the source of your illness.  

Patients across the country are filing lawsuits against Olympus Corporation after developing life-threatening infections following routine scope procedures. Many of these patients had no idea that the device used in their procedure could not be properly cleaned between uses, putting them at increased risk of infection. 

Learn more about the lawsuits against Olympus, find out whether you qualify, or start the process of filing your claim today by contacting the lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend. 

You can reach us by calling our toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or by filling out our free claims submission form, located on the right side of this page. 

Why Are Patients Filing Olympus Scope Lawsuits?

Olympus manufactures reusable medical scopes that are inserted into the body during diagnostic and surgical procedures. After each use, the scopes are supposed to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected through a process called reprocessing. However, lawsuits allege that certain Olympus scopes have design flaws that prevent complete sterilization. Internal channels and small mechanical parts can trap blood, tissue, and bacteria that standard cleaning cannot remove. 

When these contaminated scopes are used on the next patient, dangerous bacteria can be transferred. The FDA has confirmed that infections have occurred even when hospital staff followed the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions exactly as written. 

Olympus holds an estimated 70% share of the worldwide endoscope market. With more than 30 million scope procedures performed each year in the United States alone, the potential number of affected patients is enormous. 

In 2018, Olympus and a former executive pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for failing to report known safety problems to the FDA. The company paid $85 million in fines. In June 2025, the FDA blocked 58 Olympus products from entering the United States due to ongoing manufacturing and safety violations at a Japanese facility. These regulatory actions reinforce the concerns at the heart of the litigation: that Olympus was aware of the risks its devices posed and failed to adequately protect patients. 

What Types of Olympus Scopes Are Involved?

The litigation covers several types of Olympus scopes used in common medical procedures. 

Duodenoscopes are used during ERCP procedures to examine and treat conditions of the bile ducts, pancreas, and liver. A part of the device called the elevator channel has been identified as particularly difficult to clean. This component is located at the tip of the scope and comes into direct contact with a patient’s internal tissue and bodily fluids during every procedure. 

Laparoscopes are used during laparoscopy, a type of minimally invasive surgery. These procedures involve inserting the scope through small incisions in the abdomen to view and operate on internal organs. Laparoscopic procedures are among the most frequently performed surgeries in the country and include gallbladder removal, hernia repair, and appendectomy. 

Bronchoscopes are used during bronchoscopy to examine the lungs and breathing passages. Doctors use these devices to diagnose lung infections, tumors, and other airway conditions. Approximately 1.5 million bronchoscopy procedures are performed each year in the United States. 

Ureterorenoscopes are used during ureteroscopy to diagnose and treat problems in the urinary tract, including kidney stones. 

Warning Signs of a Scope-Related Infection

Many patients who were harmed by contaminated Olympus scopes did not immediately connect their symptoms to their procedure. Some infections appeared within days. Others took weeks to develop. If you experienced any of the following symptoms after a scope procedure, your illness may be linked to a contaminated device. 

Symptoms to watch for include:  

• Fever and chills that develop after your procedure 
• Persistent or worsening abdominal pain 
• Redness, swelling, or drainage at an incision site 
• Extreme fatigue or weakness 
• Shortness of breath 
• Nausea or vomiting, and 
• Confusion or dizziness 

These symptoms are especially concerning if they did not respond to antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. Drug-resistant bacteria, sometimes called superbugs, are at the center of the Olympus scope litigation. These organisms resist the antibiotics that doctors normally rely on, making infections far more dangerous and difficult to treat. 

The most commonly reported superbug linked to Olympus scopes is CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae). CRE resists carbapenems, which are often the last line of antibiotic defense available to doctors. When CRE enters the bloodstream, the consequences can be devastating. In severe cases, superbug infections can lead to prolonged hospitalization, sepsis, organ failure, and death. 

If you experienced symptoms like these after a scope procedure and required hospitalization or IV antibiotics, you should speak with an attorney about your legal options. 

Do You Qualify to File an Olympus Scope Lawsuit?

You may be eligible to file a lawsuit if you had an Olympus scope procedure since 2015 and experienced any of the following: you were hospitalized with an infection that required IV antibiotics within 90 days of your procedure, you developed sepsis, organ failure, or tuberculosis within 90 days of your procedure, you were diagnosed with a drug-resistant superbug infection after your procedure, or you received a formal notice from a hospital or healthcare provider that you may have been exposed to dangerous pathogens during an Olympus scope procedure. 

Family members may also be able to file a wrongful death claim if a loved one passed away due to complications from a scope-related infection. 

Each state has its own filing deadline for product liability claims. These deadlines, known as statutes of limitations, vary from state to state. In some cases, the clock may not start running until you first learned that your infection was connected to a contaminated scope. Waiting too long could mean losing your right to take legal action. Speaking with a lawyer sooner rather than later is the best way to protect your claim. 

What Compensation May Be Available?

Patients who were harmed by contaminated Olympus scopes may be able to recover compensation for medical bills and hospitalization costs, ongoing treatment and prescription expenses, lost wages and reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and wrongful death damages if a family member died due to a scope-related infection. 

Every case is different. The amount of compensation depends on the severity of the injury, the length of treatment, and other factors specific to your situation. An experienced attorney can evaluate your case and help you understand what your claim may be worth. 

Why Choose Hissey, Mulderig & Friend?

The attorneys at Hissey, Mulderig & Friend have decades of experience representing patients who have been harmed by dangerous and defective medical products. Our firm is currently reviewing Olympus scope infection cases from patients nationwide. 

If you or a loved one developed a serious infection after undergoing a procedure involving Olympus scopes, our attorneys can help. There is no cost for an initial consultation, and you pay nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf.  

Find out whether you qualify or start your claim today by contacting the lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend. You can reach us by calling toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or by filling out the free claims submission form at the top of this page.