Plain-English news, explainers, and FDA updates on contaminated Olympus scope cases. New posts when news breaks.
Researchers threaded a tiny borescope camera through the channels of fully reprocessed endoscopes and photographed what was inside: scratches, debris, and retained fluid, in the great majority of the devices they checked. Here's what those peer-reviewed studies found, why the national ANSI/AAMI ST91 standard and the FDA now recommend looking inside, and why a hospital's inspection and repair records can matter to a scope-infection case.
Read moreDuodenoscopes get the headlines, but the FDA has twice warned that reusable flexible bronchoscopes — the scopes used to look inside the lungs — can spread infection even after correct cleaning. Here's a plain-English read on what the FDA found, the documented Olympus bronchoscope design defect behind a large hospital outbreak, and how the same product-liability and reprocessing-negligence theories apply.
Read moreNearly every news story about contaminated Olympus scopes uses the word “superbug” — and most of the time it means one thing: CRE, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, the drug-resistant organism the CDC calls an urgent threat. Here's a plain-English read on what CRE is, how a reusable scope carries it from one patient to the next, and why the organism named in your chart matters to a case.
Read moreMost of the Olympus story is about the scopes. This one is about the washer. In early 2026 the FDA classified a Class II recall (Z-1613-2026) of the Olympus OER-Pro and OER-Elite automated endoscope reprocessors after two reusable valves were found no longer reprocessing-compatible. Here's a plain-English read on what an AER is, what the recall says, and why the cleaning equipment itself being recalled matters to patients.
Read moreOne of the first questions people ask after a scope infection is how to “join the class action.” The premise is almost always wrong: there is no class action, and as of July 2026 no MDL either — the cases are individual lawsuits. Here's a plain-English read on what an MDL and a class action actually are, why neither governs these cases yet, and what that means for your claim and your filing deadline.
Read moreThe duodenoscope cases get the headlines — but they are not the only reusable scopes the FDA has flagged for spreading infection. In 2021 the agency warned about the urological endoscopes used for bladder exams and kidney-stone procedures, citing more than 450 infection reports. Here's what the FDA found, why these scopes get contaminated, and how the same design-defect and reprocessing-negligence theories apply.
Read moreAlmost every Olympus scope infection case traces back to one part smaller than a fingernail: a hinged lever at the tip called the elevator. It makes ERCP possible — and it is the hardest part of the device to clean. Here's a plain-English read on what it is, why it traps drug-resistant bacteria even after correct cleaning, and why it sits at the center of both the design-defect and reprocessing-negligence theories.
Read moreIn a scope-infection case, few facts matter more than what the manufacturer knew and when. For Olympus duodenoscopes, a yearlong U.S. Senate investigation and a 2018 federal guilty plea put much of that answer on the public record. Here's a plain-English read on what the documents show — and why it matters to a patient's case.
Read moreThere is no single nationwide deadline for a duodenoscope infection claim. The clock is set by your state, by who you sue, and by when you knew a contaminated scope caused the harm. Here's a plain-English read on the statute of limitations, the discovery rule for latent infections, and why one procedure can start more than one clock.
Read moreA wrongful death complaint filed June 5, 2026 in federal court in Washington alleges an Olympus TJF-Q190V duodenoscope transmitted a fatal vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) infection after an ERCP. Here's a plain-English read on what the complaint claims, why the device model matters, and how it fits years of FDA contamination data.
Read moreThe FDA told hospitals to move away from fixed-endcap reusable duodenoscopes back in 2019 — and a fully single-use scope was cleared that December. Here's why a feasible safer alternative design matters, medically and legally, if you were harmed by a reusable Olympus scope.
Read moreThe medical record is the most important piece of evidence in any future scope-infection case — and hospitals are required by HIPAA to give it to you. Here's exactly what to request, how to submit the request, and what to do if the hospital drags its feet.
Read moreJune 24, 2026 marks one year since the FDA's import alert. It's still in place. Here's what the anniversary means for the litigation, what the 2026 recall pattern has added, and what plaintiffs should be doing this summer.
Read moreAn endoscopy that should have lasted an hour and gone home the same day instead ends in the ICU. Here's how post-ERCP sepsis happens, why duodenoscopes are uniquely high-risk, the Hour-1 treatment standard, and the records survivors should preserve.
Read moreWhen a family member dies after a scope-acquired infection, the family's right to bring a case is a separate question with its own filing clock. Here's how scope-related wrongful death claims work, who can file, and what records help.
Read moreOlympus is the largest duodenoscope manufacturer recalled for contamination problems, but not the only one. Here's how the Pentax ED-3490TK and Fujifilm ED-530XT recalls compare — and what the broader industry record means for patients.
Read moreMost scope-infection patients don't connect the post-procedure illness back to the scope at the time. Here's how the symptom timeline typically unfolds and why the gap between infection and recognition matters legally.
Read moreOlympus duodenoscopes have been linked to documented infection outbreaks at U.S. hospitals from Seattle to Los Angeles to Hartford. Here's a plain-English patient reference covering the most thoroughly documented incidents.
Read moreSince May, the FDA-Olympus compliance story has widened beyond the scopes themselves. A nationwide April 2026 recall of the device hospitals use to clean Olympus duodenoscopes joins two earlier 2026 recalls. Here's what changed, what didn't, and what it means for new cases.
Read moreThe FDA's own swab surveillance found roughly 1 in 20 duodenoscopes still tested positive for bacteria after cleaning — even when hospitals followed the instructions exactly. Here's what that data means if you had a scope procedure.
Read moreThe TJF-Q180V and TJF-Q190V look nearly identical but differ in the one part that matters most for contamination. Here's how to tell which Olympus duodenoscope was used in your ERCP — and why the distinction matters.
Read moreIn March 2026, Health Canada recalled certain Olympus endoscope components after finding they may no longer be compatible with some cleaning systems. Here's what the Canadian action adds to the regulatory record for U.S. patients.
Read moreFive clinical signals that an infection after a colonoscopy, ERCP, or bronchoscopy may be tied to a contaminated Olympus scope rather than ordinary post-procedure bad luck.
Read moreThe FDA issued a Class I recall — its most serious level — for the Olympus MAJ-891 Forceps/Irrigation Plug, a reusable scope accessory the agency linked to 120 injuries and one death. Here's what the recall covers.
Read moreIn October 2025, Olympus sent hospitals worldwide an urgent safety notice about three duodenoscope models linked to reported deaths and serious injuries. Here's what the notice said and how to find out whether your hospital received it.
Read moreOlympus's self-imposed March 31, 2026 deadline to complete its FDA quality commitments has come and gone — and the FDA import alert is still in place. Here's what's done, what's still outstanding, and what April's Canadian class action filing means for U.S. patients.
Read moreWhere Olympus endoscope litigation stands as of April 2026 — why there's no MDL yet, what the FDA import alert changes, and why timing matters for new claims.
Read moreOn June 24, 2025, the FDA blocked 58 Olympus endoscope models from entering the U.S. Here's what the import alert does and why it matters for patients harmed before it was issued.
Read moreHospitals rarely volunteer the make and model of the scope used in your procedure. Here's how to formally request it under HIPAA, what records to gather, and what to do if the hospital won't disclose.
Read moreBrowse the full library of contaminated endoscope and Olympus scope investigation pages.
Start here — overview of contaminated endoscope litigation.
How design flaws turn scopes into superbug carriers.
Colonoscopy, ERCP, bronchoscopy, upper endoscopy — what's at risk.
Timeline of FDA recalls, warnings, and import alerts.
CRE, MDRO, sepsis warning signs to watch for.
The closed-channel elevator that resists sterilization.
Duodenoscope-linked outbreaks and ERCP claims.
When routine screenings cause hospital-acquired infections.
Cleaning shortcuts that put patients at risk.
Find out in 60 seconds if you have a case.
What the June 2025 FDA Olympus import alert means for patients.
Approaching the June 24 import alert anniversary. The 2026 recall pattern in retrospect and what plaintiffs should be doing this summer.
Virginia Mason, UCLA, Cedars-Sinai, Hartford — a plain-English patient reference to the documented Olympus scope outbreaks.
Why most scope-infection patients don't connect symptoms to the procedure for months — and why the gap matters legally.
How the Pentax ED-3490TK and Fujifilm ED-530XT recalls compare to the Olympus pattern — the broader industry record.
How families bring a wrongful death case when a loved one died from a scope-acquired infection — who can file, filing clock, records.
April 2026 OER-Pro reprocessor recall widens the compliance picture beyond the scopes themselves.
Did Olympus meet its FDA deadline? 96% completion claim, Canadian class action, and what's still outstanding.
Where Olympus scope cases stand: no MDL yet, individual filings, deadline pressure.
The drug-resistant bacteria documented in scope outbreaks, in plain English.
How to find out which scope was used on you and what records to request.
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