Olympus Scope Lawsuit

Lawsuits against Olympus and some of its scopes first emerged years ago, when some patients claimed that they developed superbug infections following procedures using duodenoscopes.

Duodenoscopes are used in hundreds of thousands of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures every year to examine, diagnose and treat issues in the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts.

The lawsuits claimed that design defects made the reusable scopes difficult to clean, allowing contaminants to remain on the scopes and enter the patient’s body during procedures.

Dozens of hospitals across the United States experienced superbug outbreaks in the early 2010s, infecting hundreds of patients. According to the Cleveland Clinic, superbugs are often resistant to antibiotics, making them both dangerous and difficult to treat.

In 2017, Olympus was ordered to pay $6.6 million to a Seattle hospital over a superbug outbreak. The hospital was told to give $1 million of that verdict to the family of a patient who died.

The Japanese company went on to settle duodenoscope lawsuits with some of the individuals who brought claims. Over the years, the litigation died down.

But a new wave of lawsuits is brewing following recent alerts and decisions from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

FDA Actions Involving Olympus Scopes

In June 2025, the FDA issued an import alert against dozens of types of Olympus scopes, with the agency noting that it “continues to have concerns” about multiple devices. This halted future shipments of the affected products to the U.S.

Doctors were directed to discuss the risks and benefits of these devices with patients.

“Olympus is committed to addressing the FDA’s concerns promptly and ensuring that our products meet the highest quality standards,” the company said in a statement after the import alert was issued. “Our highest priority is providing our customers with safe and effective solutions for patient care.”

A few months later, Olympus issued an urgent field safety notice regarding multiple duodenoscope devices. The company warned of additional health risks if the devices were not cleaned properly between procedures and issued updated cleaning instructions.

The company revealed that, since 2024, it had received two reports of deaths and five reports of serious injuries resulting from infection possibly related to the use of the duodenoscopes in question.

You may qualify to file an Olympus scope lawsuit if you underwent a procedure using a scope manufactured by the company and went on to develop an infection or serious complications.

If you’re not sure if an Olympus scope was used in your procedure, you can reach out to your doctor for more information. Olympus is the global leader in gastrointestinal endoscopic equipment, capturing 70% of the market share.

A trusted attorney can also help you determine how to best track down this information and any other documentation or records that could help strengthen your case.

Injuries Linked to Contaminated Olympus Scopes

Contaminated Olympus scopes have been linked to several different types of injuries and severe complications that could qualify you for a lawsuit. Infections can occur when the reusable scope device is not cleaned properly between procedures.

Lawsuits claim that successful cleaning can be difficult due to design defects in the scope itself, which may have allowed fluids and bacteria to remain trapped on the device before it was used on another patient.

Lawyers are investigating lawsuits for people who went on to develop sepsis, abscesses and tuberculosis shortly after undergoing a scope procedure. Lawsuits are also being filed involving cases of organ failure and death.

You also may qualify for an Olympus scope lawsuit if you developed HIV after your procedure. Keep in mind that, unlike other infections and complications, the symptoms of HIV may not appear for weeks or months after exposure occurred.

The second wave of Olympus scopes lawsuits remains in the early stages. Lawyers are investigating claims, and many new lawsuits are expected to be filed in the coming months.

As of May 2026, there is no multidistrict litigation (MDL) for these cases. MDLs are formed when many similar cases are filed. It places them all before one judge for coordinated proceedings.

After more Olympus scope lawsuits are filed, consolidation could come next.

In the first wave of duodenoscope lawsuits that wrapped up several years ago, Olympus agreed to multiple confidential settlements with individuals who filed lawsuits.

The company was ordered to pay $6.6 million to a hospital where a superbug outbreak occurred.

However, there have been no verdicts or global settlements in the second wave of Olympus scope lawsuits. A major settlement is unlikely to be reached until more lawsuits have been filed and advanced further in the legal process.

Settlement negotiations for a litigation often heat up after bellwether trials are held. These are early trials that serve as test cases, letting both sides see how their claims hold up before a jury. The outcome of those trials can influence settlement talks for all cases.

Individual lawsuits may still reach their own settlements in the meantime. This means that you wouldn’t necessarily have to wait for bellwether trials and a global settlement for your case to reach a resolution. It all depends on the individual details and factors of each lawsuit.