Olympus endoscopes are flexible imaging instruments that physicians use to look inside the body without major surgery. Millions of procedures, ranging from routine colonoscopies to bile duct treatments, depend on this technology. For most patients, the scope used during their procedure is invisible—a tool wielded by their physician that they never think twice about.
Unfortunately, that trust has been broken due to a wave of dangerous infections caused by contaminated Olympus devices. If you or someone you love developed a serious illness after an endoscopic procedure, Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC can help you seek justice. We have built our practice around holding negligent corporations accountable when their products injure innocent people, and we won’t rest until the at-fault parties are made to answer for the harm they caused.
Why Choose Our Firm for Your Olympus Scope Infection Lawsuit?
- Our firm focuses exclusively on mass tort litigation, giving us deep insight into defective medical device cases. We have the resources and tenacity to take on the world’s largest manufacturers.
- Geography should never stand between you and the legal representation you deserve. We represent clients in all 50 states in their Olympus scope infection lawsuits.
- We co-counsel with leading personal injury and mass tort firms nationwide, pooling experience and resources to maximize the compensation our clients receive.
Contaminated Olympus Endoscopes Spread Dangerous Infections
Hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and gastroenterology practices across the country use Olympus endoscopes every day. Because these reusable devices enter the body and come into contact with mucous membranes, blood, and tissue, they must be meticulously sterilized between patients.
The problem is that Olympus’s own design makes proper disinfection nearly impossible. Narrow internal passages and other hidden crevices within the device harbor biological residue. Blood, tissue fragments, and bacteria collect beyond the reach of standard reprocessing methods. Even when hospital staff follow Olympus’s cleaning instructions exactly as written, viable biological material persists on the devices.
As a result, deadly pathogens are passed between patients. Contaminated scopes have spread antibiotic-resistant superbugs, HIV, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. Victims of Olympus scope infections have endured prolonged hospitalizations, multi-organ failure, and, in tragic cases, death.
Do You Qualify for an Olympus Scope Infection Lawsuit?
An Olympus scope infection lawsuit allows injured patients and grieving families to hold the manufacturer and other negligent parties financially accountable for the losses caused by a contaminated device. These may include medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.
You may be eligible for a claim if you or a loved one underwent a scoping procedure (colonoscopy, endoscopy, or bronchoscopy) in or after 2015, and experienced one of the following:
- You suffered serious complications, including infection, sepsis, organ damage, bleeding, or perforation.
- You received notice of bacterial exposure from your hospital.
- A loved one died following a scoping procedure.
Determining eligibility is the first step in evaluating whether you have a viable claim. The attorneys at Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC can walk you through that process at no cost during your initial consultation.
Who Is Liable for Your Olympus Scope Infection?
Contaminated scope infections often trace back to multiple parties. Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC will conduct a thorough investigation to determine who is responsible and pursue the fullest possible recovery on your behalf.
Olympus Corporation designed and produced scopes with internal architecture that cannot reliably be cleaned, marketed those devices as safe for repeated patient use, and supplied reprocessing instructions that the company knew or should have known were insufficient. Despite evidence of contamination and patient harm, Olympus continued selling these products without adequate warnings to the medical community.
Hospitals and endoscopy centers may share liability as well. Facilities that ignored safety communications, failed to enforce proper reprocessing procedures, or kept patients in the dark about known exposures may be held accountable for the harm they caused.
How Can Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC Help You Seek Justice?
Recovering from a serious infection is exhausting in every sense: physically, emotionally, and financially. The last thing you should have to manage on top of treatment is a complex legal battle against a multinational corporation. Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC will step in and shoulder the legal burden.
We handle every facet of your case, from gathering medical records and identifying the device used during your procedure to retaining medical experts, coordinating with co-counsel in mass tort proceedings, and negotiating with the manufacturer’s legal team. With decades of combined experience and a track record of standing up to corporate giants, we will pursue every available avenue to secure the compensation you and your family deserve.
Complications Linked to Contaminated Olympus Endoscopes
Patients have reported several types of injuries and complications after undergoing a procedure using an Olympus scope. These include:
- Sepsis and septic shock
- Urinary tract infections
- Drug-resistant infections
- Pseudomonas infections
- E. coli infections
- Internal organ injury
Recovery from these injuries can stretch on for months or even years, often requiring extended hospital stays, intravenous antibiotic therapy, follow-up surgeries, and ongoing specialist care. Many survivors are left with permanent organ damage or chronic health conditions that affect their ability to work and enjoy daily life.
Evidence That Can Help Support Your Olympus Scope Lawsuit
To recover compensation in an Olympus scope lawsuit, you need to prove that the device was defective, caused your infection, and resulted in the damages you sustained. The following records can help establish these facts:
- Procedure reports
- Hospital discharge paperwork
- Infection diagnosis records
- Laboratory results
- Correspondence from the hospital regarding bacterial exposure
- Antibiotic treatment and prescription history
- Logs noting the specific scope model and serial number used
- Analysis from experts in infectious disease, medical device engineering, and hospital reprocessing protocols
- A death certificate, if you lost a loved one
If you do not have these documents on hand, Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC can help you obtain them.
Schedule a Free, Confidential Case Review with Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC
A medical procedure is supposed to benefit your health, not cause a life-altering infection. If an Olympus scope has injured you or taken your loved one’s life, you have the right to take legal action. Contact Shapiro Legal Group, PLLC today for a free, confidential case review, and trust our attorneys to fight for the justice and accountability you deserve.