➢ Start Your Claim Today
Millions of Americans undergo scope procedures every year. These procedures are typically safe and routine. But for patients whose procedures involved certain Olympus scopes, that routine visit turned into a nightmare.
Olympus Corporation is a Japanese medical device company. It holds an estimated 70% share of the worldwide endoscope market. The company’s reusable medical scopes have been linked to deadly superbug infections in patients at hospitals nationwide. The infections occurred even when hospitals cleaned the devices exactly as Olympus instructed.
If you or a loved one underwent a colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, ERCP, bronchoscopy, or other procedures using Olympus reusable scopes and developed a serious infection, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation.
Find out whether you qualify or start your claim today by contacting the law firm of Hissey Mulderig & Friend toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or by filling our our free claims submission form, located on the right side of this page.
➢ What Are Olympus Scopes?
Olympus scopes are flexible, reusable medical devices that doctors insert into the body to diagnose and treat various conditions. After each procedure, the scopes go through a cleaning and disinfection process called reprocessing. The idea is to remove all biological material so the device is safe for the next patient.
The problem is that certain Olympus scopes have design features that make thorough cleaning extremely difficult or even impossible. Tiny internal channels, crevices, seams, and moving parts can trap blood, tissue, and bodily fluids. Standard cleaning chemicals and brushes cannot reach every surface. Bacteria that survive the cleaning process can then be transferred to the next patient.
Several types of Olympus scopes are at the center of this litigation:
- Duodenoscopes allow doctors to examine and treat conditions of the pancreas, bile ducts, and liver. The procedure is called an ERCP, which stands for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. A component called the “elevator channel” at the tip of the device has been identified as especially difficult to sterilize.
- Laparoscopes are used in minimally invasive surgeries. Surgeons use them to view internal organs through small incisions in the abdomen.
- Bronchoscopes give doctors a view inside the lungs and breathing passages. Doctors use them to diagnose conditions like lung infections, tumors, and airway blockages.
- Ureterorenoscopes are used to diagnose and treat urinary tract problems, including kidney stones.
➢ What Infections Are Linked to Olympus Scopes?
When contaminated scopes are used on patients, the consequences can be severe and even deadly. The bacteria that survive the cleaning process are often drug-resistant. That means they do not respond to the antibiotics doctors normally use. These organisms are sometimes called “superbugs.”
The most commonly reported organism is CRE, which stands for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. CRE is resistant to carbapenems. These are considered antibiotics of last resort. When standard antibiotics fail, treatment options become extremely limited.
Infections linked to Olympus scopes include superbug infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria like CRE, bacteremia (the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream), and sepsis (a life-threatening condition where the body’s immune system attacks its own organs in response to infection).
Patients who survive these infections may face recurring health problems, extended hospitalizations, and months or years of follow-up treatment.
➢ FDA Actions Against Olympus
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taken multiple actions against Olympus over contamination and safety concerns.
In 2015, the FDA issued a public safety communication confirming that Olympus duodenoscopes posed infection risks even when hospitals followed proper reprocessing procedures.
In November 2022, the FDA issued a warning letter to Olympus subsidiary Aizu Olympus Co., Ltd. The letter cited multiple violations of federal quality regulations at a Japanese manufacturing facility. The violations included failures to properly test and validate device designs, inadequate documentation of manufacturing processes, and failure to maintain written procedures for reporting adverse events.
In January 2025, Olympus issued a voluntary recall of the MAJ-891 Forceps/Irrigation Plug. This is an endoscope accessory used across multiple scope types. The FDA classified it as a Class 1 recall, its most serious designation. The FDA reported that it had received reports of 120 injuries and one death linked to the device.
In June 2025, the FDA issued import alerts blocking 58 Olympus products from entering the United States. The affected devices include bronchoscopes, ureterorenoscopes, laparoscopes, and automated endoscope reprocessors. The FDA cited ongoing failures at the Aizu manufacturing facility to meet federal safety and manufacturing standards.
➢ Olympus Knew About the Risks
The legal claims against Olympus go beyond a simple product defect. Evidence produced in litigation and federal investigations suggests that Olympus was aware of contamination risks for years before taking meaningful action.
As early as 2012, European hospitals reported infections in patients whose scopes had been cleaned according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Those reports reached Olympus. In 2013, staff at a Seattle hospital identified a cluster of drug-resistant infections linked to Olympus duodenoscopes. The hospital contacted Olympus and warned that the elevator channel’s design prevented proper sterilization. Olympus took no public corrective action at that time. It did not recall the device, change the design, or alert other hospitals.
In 2018, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation and a former senior executive pleaded guilty in a federal criminal case for failing to file required safety reports with the FDA. Olympus agreed to pay $85 million in criminal fines. Separately, in 2016, Olympus paid $646 million to resolve criminal and civil charges related to an illegal kickback scheme involving its medical devices.
Lawsuits against Olympus are based on several legal theories. These include defective design, failure to warn hospitals and patients of known risks, fraud and concealment of safety data, and violations of federal medical device regulations.
➢ Who Can File an Olympus Scope Lawsuit?
You may qualify to file a lawsuit against Olympus if you had a scope procedure since 2015 and experienced one or more of the following: you were hospitalized with an infection requiring IV antibiotics within 90 days of your procedure, you were diagnosed with sepsis, organ failure, or tuberculosis within 90 days of the procedure, you contracted a drug-resistant superbug infection after your procedure, or you received a formal notice from your hospital or healthcare provider that you may have been exposed to dangerous bacteria during an Olympus scope procedure.
The amount of time you have to file a lawsuit depends on your state’s statute of limitations. These deadlines vary, and waiting too long could prevent you from pursuing your claim.
Patients who were harmed by an infection after undergoing a procedure with Olympus scope may be able to recover compensation for medical bills and treatment costs (including hospitalization, antibiotics, and follow-up care), lost wages and reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and wrongful death damages.
➢ Contact Our Law Firm to Start Your Claim Today
If you or a loved one underwent a medical procedure involving an Olympus scope and developed a serious infection, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation.
Our law firm, Hissey Mulderig & Friend, is currently investigating claims involving serious cases of infection linked to reusable Olympus scopes. Our attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning there are no costs involved with filing a lawsuit unless we successfully recover damages in your case.
Find out whether you qualify to file a lawsuit against Olympus or start your claim today by contacting the lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or by filling out our free claims submission form, located at the top of this page.
➢ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Olympus scope lawsuit about? The lawsuits allege that Olympus manufactured reusable medical scopes with design defects that prevented proper cleaning between patients. Bacteria surviving the cleaning process caused serious and sometimes fatal infections. Plaintiffs claim Olympus knew about these risks and failed to warn hospitals and patients.
What types of scopes are involved? The litigation involves duodenoscopes, laparoscopes, bronchoscopes, and ureterorenoscopes manufactured by Olympus. These devices are used in a wide range of diagnostic and surgical procedures.
How do I know if my infection was caused by an Olympus scope? An attorney can help you investigate the connection between your procedure, the device that was used, and your diagnosis. Medical records, hospital logs, and device tracking information can help establish whether an Olympus scope was involved.
Is there a deadline to file a claim? Yes. Each state has its own statute of limitations for product liability and personal injury claims. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to make sure your rights are protected.
How much does it cost to hire an attorney? There is no upfront cost. Hissey, Mulderig & Friend works on a contingency basis. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
