The Carlson Law Firm is helping patients nationwide who have been diagnosed with an infection after undergoing a procedure with an Olympus Scope. Schedule a free consultation with our Olympus Scope Lawsuit lawyers at 800-359-5690.

Olympus Scope Lawsuit

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Serious Infections After Olympus Endoscope Procedures

Olympus scopes and related endoscope accessories have been linked to infection concerns, FDA safety communications, import alerts, adverse-event reporting failures, and lawsuits involving serious post-procedure infections. The FDA has warned that improper or incomplete reprocessing of certain Olympus endoscope accessories can expose patients to contaminated devices, which may result in infection, urinary tract infection, sepsis or death. Our Olympus Scope Lawsuit lawyers can help you get justice if you were seriously infected by one of these medical devices. 

Patients who developed a serious infection after a procedure involving an Olympus scope may have legal options.

Free consultations and no out-of-pocket costs with our legal team.

Olympus Scopes Lawsuit

Who May Qualify for an Olympus Scope Lawsuit

Patients who underwent procedures involving Olympus endoscopes may be eligible to pursue a claim if they experienced complications linked to contaminated or defective devices. These cases often center on infections that developed after routine diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, particularly when there is reason to believe the scope was not properly sterilized or was inherently difficult to clean due to its design.

You may qualify for an Olympus scope lawsuit if:

  • You underwent a procedure using an Olympus endoscope, such as an ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography), bronchoscopy, or other gastrointestinal or pulmonary procedure
  • You were later diagnosed with a serious infection, including antibiotic-resistant infections such as E. coli, CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae), or other hospital-acquired infections
  • Your infection required additional medical treatment, such as hospitalization, IV antibiotics, or follow-up procedures
  • You experienced complications, including sepsis, organ damage, prolonged illness, or other lasting health effects
  • Your procedure occurred within a timeframe associated with known outbreaks or FDA safety communications involving Olympus scopes

In some cases, family members of individuals who passed away due to complications linked to these infections may also have grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim.

Because Olympus scopes have been the subject of multiple safety alerts and investigations, eligibility does not always depend on proving improper use by a healthcare provider. Some claims focus on whether the device’s design made it unreasonably difficult to disinfect, thereby increasing the risk of cross-contamination between patients.

If you are unsure whether your experience may be connected to an Olympus scope, let us review your medical records to clarify whether you may have a claim.

Why Are Lawsuits Being Filed for Olympus Scopes?

Olympus manufactures medical scopes and accessories used in procedures involving the digestive tract, lungs, urinary system and other areas of the body. These devices are often reused on multiple patients after they are cleaned, disinfected and sterilized.

The concern is that certain Olympus scopes or accessories may be difficult to fully clean. If bacteria, tissue, fluid or other biological material remains inside the device, the next patient may be exposed to dangerous contamination.

Potential lawsuits may allege that Olympus failed to:

  • Properly design devices that could be reliably cleaned
  • Adequately warn hospitals and providers about contamination risks
  • Act quickly enough after reports of infections and injuries
  • Report certain adverse events to federal regulators as required
  • Protect patients from preventable exposure to contaminated devices

Past Legal Issues with Olympus

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Olympus Medical Systems Corporation and a former senior executive pleaded guilty to failing to file required adverse event reports involving infections linked to Olympus duodenoscopes. The DOJ said the unreported events included patient infections involving Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli at medical centers in Europe.

What are Olympus Scopes?

Olympus Scopes are reusable high-definition medical cameras that can be inserted into the body to diagnose and treat disease. Patients may have come into contact with them during procedures that required endoscopes, bronchoscopes, or duodenoscopes.

Examples of when Olympus Scopes may be used: 

  • Gastroenterology
  • Colonoscopy
  • Pulmonology 
  • Surgery
  • Ultrasound (specialized scopes used to perform EUS-TBNA (need aspiration) to diagnose tissue in the pancreas and surrounding areas)

If you underwent any of the above procedures and were diagnosed with an infection afterward, schedule a free consultation with a member of the Olympus Scopes Lawsuit team. Consultations are free, and there are no out-of-pocket costs to pursue justice.

How do Olympus Scopes Cause Infections?

Olympus Scopes have a design that makes it extremely difficult, or in some cases impossible, to fully sterilize. Biological material can remain trapped in crevices even after proper cleaning. Bacteria can still survive even when hospitals follow the manufacturer’s disinfection protocols. The remaining bacteria create a situation where several patients can be exposed to a scope that carries a dangerous bacterium. 

Why are these infections hard to trace?

After undergoing procedures for unrelated conditions, a patient may later present with an infection. Often, the infection is not immediately connected to the endoscopic procedure. Hospitals continue to unknowingly use these reusable devices, and infections continue to spread to additional patients. 

Olympus manufacturers control a large share of the endoscope market. As such, there is a significant risk for widespread outbreaks. A further complication is that these scopes often involve drug-resistant organisms, which may worsen infection outcomes.

Our team has extensive experience handling claims where a product or medication caused a serious infection. Schedule your free consultation with our Olympus Scope Lawsuit lawyers. There are no out-of-pocket costs associated with a filing a lawsuit with our law firm.

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Injuries Linked to Olympus Scope Lawsuits

Patients may have a potential claim if they developed a serious infection or complication after a procedure involving an Olympus scope or Olympus endoscope accessory.

Reported injuries may include:

  • Sepsis
  • Severe bacterial infection
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Drug-resistant infection
  • Pseudomonas infection
  • E. coli infection
  • Internal injury
  • Extended hospitalization
  • ICU admission
  • Additional surgeries or procedures
  • Death

Not every infection after a medical procedure means a device was defective or contaminated. However, serious infections that occur shortly after a scoped procedure may require a closer look at the device used, the cleaning process and whether the hospital received any manufacturer or FDA warnings.

FDA Warnings

Olympus scopes and endoscope accessories have been the subject of FDA warnings involving infection risks, reprocessing concerns and quality system violations. These warnings may be important for patients who developed serious infections after procedures involving Olympus devices.

Olympus MAJ-891 Forceps/Irrigation Plug Concerns

One current concern involves the Olympus MAJ-891 Forceps/Irrigation Plug, an accessory used with certain endoscopes. The FDA warned that infections may occur when the device is not disconnected from the endoscope and disassembled before reprocessing. Exposure to a contaminated device may lead to infection, urinary tract infection, sepsis and, in some cases, death.

Olympus notified U.S. customers about the issue in December 2024 after complaints involving patient injuries and one death.

FDA Import Alerts for Olympus Devices

In June 2025, the FDA alerted health care providers about import alerts affecting certain Olympus medical devices manufactured in Japan. The FDA said the alerts were issued because of ongoing concerns about outstanding Quality System regulation violations by Olympus and its subsidiaries.

The affected product categories included certain bronchoscopes, ureterorenoscopes, laparoscopes and automated endoscope reprocessors. Olympus acknowledged that the FDA action prevented the importation of specified devices into the United States until further notice.

Why These Warnings Matter

These FDA warnings may help show that infection risks involving Olympus devices were not isolated concerns. For patients who developed infections after endoscopic procedures, medical records, procedure reports and infection timelines may help determine whether an Olympus device or accessory was involved.

Records That May Help Support an Olympus Scope Claim

The following records may be important when evaluating a potential claim:

  • Procedure records
  • Hospital discharge paperwork
  • Infection diagnosis
  •  Lab culture results
  • Antibiotic treatment records
  • ICU records
  • Operative reports
  • Device identification records
  • Hospital correspondence about recalls or safety notices
  • Death certificate, if applicable

Because patients may not know which device was used, the first step is often to determine whether the procedure involved an Olympus scope or an accessory.

The Carlson Law Firm Is Reviewing Olympus Scope Injury Claims

Patients trust medical devices to be safe. When a device used during a routine procedure exposes someone to dangerous bacteria, the consequences can be devastating. Our law firm has significant experience handling these types of claims and helping thousands of patients recover billions of dollars. Schedule a free consultation with a member of Olympus Scopes Lawsuit team. Call 800-359-5690 for legal representation with no out-of-pocket costs.

The Carlson Law Firm is reviewing claims involving serious infections, sepsis and deaths after procedures involving Olympus scopes or Olympus endoscope accessories. If you or a loved one suffered a serious infection after a medical procedure involving a scope, your records may help determine whether an Olympus device was involved.

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