State litigation guide · Virginia

Olympus Duodenoscope Lawsuit in Virginia

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Statute of limitations — Virginia

Virginia Code § 8.01-243 provides a 2-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. The discovery rule applies where the injury was not immediately discoverable — the clock starts when the plaintiff knew or should have known that their infection was linked to a contaminated duodenoscope. Virginia does not have a general statute of repose for product liability claims against manufacturers.

2 years from discovery of duodenoscope-linked infection

Filing venue

Where to File in Virginia

Virginia duodenoscope cases may be filed in Circuit Courts in Fairfax County, Arlington County, or the City of Richmond, or in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern or Western Districts of Virginia. Virginia's proximity to the FDA headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, means that regulatory documents and FDA personnel are readily accessible for discovery and testimony. Virginia applies a risk-utility analysis for design defect claims and follows the Daubert standard for expert testimony in federal court. The state's 2-year limitations period requires timely filing, but the discovery rule provides protection for patients who did not immediately connect their post-ERCP infection to the duodenoscope.

Virginia data

Exposure in Virginia

Major Virginia hospital systems performing high-volume ERCP procedures with Olympus duodenoscopes, including Inova, VCU Health, UVA Health, and Sentara

5+

Source: Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association

Olympus's share of the U.S. duodenoscope market at the time of major outbreaks — Virginia hospitals, like most nationwide, had limited access to alternative devices

85%

Source: FDA Advisory Committee presentations

Mortality rate for CRE bloodstream infections — the type of superbug transmitted by contaminated Olympus duodenoscopes

40–50%

Source: CDC Antibiotic Resistance Threats Report

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