Olympus Scope Lawsuit Attorneys in Alabama

Did You Suffer an Infection After an Olympus Scope Procedure?

Every year, millions of Americans undergo routine diagnostic procedures, like colonoscopies, endoscopies, bronchoscopies, trusting that the medical devices being used have been properly tested and safely sterilized. For far too many patients, though, such procedures have led to serious health problems related to the endoscopic scope that was used. Specifically, Olympus, one of the largest manufacturers of flexible endoscopic scopes in the world, has come under intense scrutiny over the safety of its reusable devices, which have been linked to dangerous infections, prolonged hospitalizations, and in the most heartbreaking cases, death.

If you underwent a scope procedure and later developed a serious infection or other significant health complication, you may have a legal claim. At Carmichael Law Group, we are currently hearing from people across Alabama who suffered complications related to the Olympus scope. Our attorneys are here to help you understand your rights and pursue accountability from the parties responsible. We offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay us nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf, so it is always a good time to get started.

Call our Alabama Olympus scope lawsuit attorneys at (888) 687-6022 and request a FREE consultation.

Could You Have an Olympus Scope Claim?

Based on the criteria currently being applied in Olympus scope litigation, you may qualify if the following apply to you:

• You underwent one of these procedures:
  • Endoscopy
  • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
  • Colonoscopy
  • Gastroscopy
  • Bronchoscopy
• Your procedure took place in 2015 or later.
• You suffered a serious injury or complication within 30 days* of your procedure, including:
  • Sepsis
  • Abscess
  • Organ failure
  • Certain other serious scope-related infections requiring hospitalization
  • Death of a loved one** who underwent an Olympus scope procedure

(*Important HIV exception: If you were diagnosed with HIV following your scope procedure, the standard 30-day window does not apply. Your case may still be worth evaluating regardless of when the diagnosis occurred.)

Disqualifying factors: You may not qualify if you also had a cystoscopy, orthoscopic procedure, or ureteroscopic procedure, or if you underwent any concurrent surgeries at the same time as your scope, such as kidney stone removal or a laparoscopic surgery. If you are unsure whether any of these factors affect your situation, our intake team is here to talk through the specifics with you.

Wrongful death claims**: If a family member passed away as a result of a scope-related infection or complication, surviving loved ones may have grounds to file a wrongful death claim on their behalf.

Why Olympus Scopes Can Be Dangerous

Olympus scopes are flexible, reusable medical devices inserted into the body during diagnostic procedures. Because they are used on multiple patients, these devices must be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized between each use. The problem is that Olympus scopes, by virtue of their complex internal design, are extremely difficult to fully decontaminate, even when hospitals and surgical centers follow the manufacturer's own cleaning instructions.

When a scope cannot be safely sterilized, residual bacteria from one patient can survive on the device and be transferred directly into the next patient during their procedure. In some documented cases, the bacteria involved are what are commonly known as "superbugs" or organisms that have become resistant to the antibiotics typically used to treat infections. Superbug infections are significantly harder to control and can escalate rapidly into life-threatening conditions like sepsis or organ failure, sometimes with fatal results.

The risks of Olympus scope use are not theoretical. Real patients have been hospitalized, and some have died after contracting infections linked to Olympus scope procedures.

FDA Took Formal Action Against Olympus

In June 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued import alerts blocking dozens of models of Olympus endoscope devices manufactured at a facility in Japan from entering the United States, citing the company's ongoing failure to meet required quality and compliance standards. This came after a November 2022 FDA warning letter to an Olympus manufacturing subsidiary that identified multiple serious violations, including failure to fully test and validate product designs, failure to properly document manufacturing processes, and failure to establish written procedures for reporting adverse events and safety issues.

The regulatory actions reinforce what injured patients have been alleging in courts across the country: that Olympus was aware of problems with its products and failed to take adequate corrective action before more people were harmed.

Serious Injuries Linked to Olympus Scope Procedures

Patients who developed infections following Olympus scope procedures have experienced a wide range of severe and sometimes permanent consequences.

The qualifying injuries most commonly associated with Olympus scope claims include:

• Sepsis: A life-threatening response to infection that can trigger cascading organ damage and rapid physical decline.
• Abscess: A serious, painful pocket of infection that may require surgical drainage and extended medical treatment.
• Organ failure: A grave complication that can lead to intensive care and lasting damage to your overall health and quality of life.
• Death: In the most devastating cases, patients have lost their lives to infections traced back to contaminated scope devices.

If you were hospitalized for a serious infection following a scope procedure and your situation does not fit clearly into one of these categories, your case may still qualify. We encourage you to reach out for a free initial case review.