{"id":353321,"date":"2016-06-03T12:50:08","date_gmt":"2016-06-03T17:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/injury\/product-liability\/olympus-scopes-lawsuits.html"},"modified":"2023-11-30T19:54:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T00:54:40","slug":"olympus-scopes-lawsuits","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability\/olympus-scopes-lawsuits.html","title":{"rendered":"Olympus Scopes: Lawsuits and Legal Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Olympus Scopes: Lawsuits and Legal Information<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Christie Nicholson, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Oni Harton, J.D.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Olympus duodenoscopes were linked to deadly CRE infections due to a design flaw that made them difficult to clean, leading to hundreds of illnesses and deaths. Patients and families filed lawsuits against Olympus, alleging negligence and wrongful death.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

A duodenoscope is a tool used in various medical procedures, including biopsies of small intestine tissue. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration<\/a> (FDA), the design of Olympus scopes made them difficult to clean. This resulted in hundreds of infections by a “superbug.” This superbug was carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE).<\/p>\n

Dozens of patients sued Olympus Corp., one of the manufacturers of these scopes, for potentially fatal infections. These infections were due to the defendant’s\u00a0TJF-Q180V duodenoscope<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article explains the issues associated with Olympus scopes. It also discusses the device manufacturer’s alleged negligence and other details about the Olympus scope lawsuits. If you have been harmed by an Olympus scope or another medical device, you have legal options. Contact a product liability attorney<\/a> near you to share your story and see if you have a valid claim.<\/p>\n

Olympus Scopes and CRE Infections: Overview<\/h2>\n

The first time experts raised serious concerns over the scope of Olympus was in 2013. Hospital staff at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle noticed superbug infections related to the duodenoscopes made by Olympus.<\/p>\n

The Seattle Times<\/i><\/a>\u00a0broke the story\u00a016 months later. Reports of similar superbug outbreaks arose from at least 16 other hospitals. According to a\u00a0U.S. Senate investigation report<\/a>, the manufacturers and the\u00a0FDA didn’t inform people about these risks until a year after the outbreak.<\/p>\n

Another problem is that Olympus didn’t seek approval from the FDA until it began selling its redesigned device. More than 250 people got sick or died from the new model.<\/p>\n

Olympus\u00a0recalled the device<\/a>\u00a0and replaced one of its essential parts. They also replaced the operating and reprocessing manuals for disinfecting the device.<\/p>\n

Wrongful Death: An Olympus Scope Lawsuit<\/h2>\n

Not only were hundreds of patients hurt by the medical scopes, but many died as well. At least 11 out of the 32 patients infected at the medical center at Virginia Mason died.<\/p>\n

Olympus Corp. argued that many of these deaths had nothing to do with the bacterial infection because the patients had terminal illnesses. However, some patients, such as\u00a0Richard Bigler<\/a>, died directly as a result of their CRE infection. His wife, Theresa Bigler, sued Olympus for wrongful death. Bigler, a Seattle, Washington resident, had pancreatic cancer. His death certificate listed a drug-resistant form of E.coli as having played a role in his death.<\/p>\n

Bigler’s widow\u00a0filed a\u00a0wrongful death lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0against both the hospital and Olympus. She argued the company knew its product was unsafe but failed to take action. She also claimed the hospital was negligent by not informing infected patients about the outbreak and the risk of infections.<\/p>\n

Bigler eventually dropped her suit against the Virginia Mason Medical Center when it\u00a0joined Bigler’s suit against Olympus<\/a>\u00a0America Inc. in May 2015.<\/p>\n

Many other American patients sued Olympus after experiencing CRE infections after ERCP procedures. Nearly half of those infected with the superbug died.<\/p>\n

Other Wrongful Death Claims Related to Olympus Endoscopes<\/h3>\n

Many other patients’ families sued Olympus Medical Systems for the death of a loved one. Victims got sick and died due to a lack of proper cleaning. This was due to the scope’s\u00a0defective design.<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of the wrongful death actions against Olympus include:<\/p>\n