Olympus Electrosurgical Generator Case Proceeds in W. Va. Federal Court

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — A West Virginia federal judge has rejected Olympus America Inc.’s bid to dismiss an action alleging injuries caused by its electrosurgical generator during a routine colonoscopy, ruling the plaintiffs adequately pled that the device’s defects caused the plaintiff’s injuries.

In a Dec. 28 order, Judge Irene C. Berger of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia further found the plaintiffs adequately alleged that Olympus failed to sufficiently test the device before selling it to medical providers and did not adequately warn of its risks.

In August 2020, Ralph Drennen underwent a colonoscopy …