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SALEM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Lawyers are filing a class action lawsuit after hundreds of endoscopy patients at Salem Hospital were potentially exposed to HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.
The hospital announced Wednesday that for about two years, incorrectly administered IV procedures may have exposed as many as 450 patients to the viruses. Hospital officials said the infection risk to patients is "extremely small" and all potentially impacted patients have been notified.
Keches Law Group has filed the lawsuit on behalf of Melinda Cashman of Amesbury. The lawsuit states Cashman "has suffered permanent injuries, additional testing requirements, extreme anxiety, emotional distress, and decreased quality of life due to potential exposure to these infections."
Mass General Brigham, Salem Hospital, and 10 hospital employees are named in the suit.
"Our client deserves to have someone take responsibility for years of negligence," said Keches Law Attorney Jonathan Sweet. "We want victims of this tragedy to know that we are fighting for them and that the people who wronged them need to be held accountable."
So far there are no reports of any infections resulting from the incident.
When reached for comment on the lawsuit, a Mass General Brigham representative said, "We are aware of, and reviewing, it."
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