The Earplug Lawsuits:
Why Is 3M Being Sued?
In the U.S., we make taking care of our service members and veterans a priority. Since 2001, millions of service members have deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other locations worldwide. When we send our men and women in uniform off for training or deployment, they expect to rely on the service equipment provided by the U.S. Department of Defense.From 2003 to 2015, the U.S. government supplied hundreds of thousands of service members with 3M brand earplugs that were defective. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, hearing loss and tinnitus are the most widespread service-related injuries. Unfortunately, it seems that over the last 20 years, 3M’s earplugs may have contributed to this hearing damage.
The Government Settled with 3M
While the 3M earplugs used by service members cost only $0.85 to manufacture, it turned out they were too small to prevent hearing damage or loss effectively. Using the federal False Claims Act, an anonymous whistleblower initiated a qui tam lawsuit.Finally, in 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice settled with 3M after alleging that 3M knew its earplugs were defective and sold them to the U.S. Department of Defense anyway. In its claim, DOJ alleged that 3M did not “disclos[e] defects that hampered the effectiveness of the hearing protection device.” 3M paid the U.S. government $9.1 million to settle the claims. However, 3M has not compensated the hundreds of thousands of veterans who suffered hearing loss because of the defective earplugs.
Do You Have a Claim Against 3M?
Service-related hearing loss among veterans is very common. However, it’s often challenging to show that hearing loss is related to defective safety equipment. Many just chalk it up to the nature of the job and hope to receive disability compensation from the government. In this case, the settlement of the False Claims Act lawsuit against 3M made it clear that 3M earplugs were defective. If you served in the U.S. military from 2003 to 2015 and wore Dual-Ended Combat Arms™ Earplugs manufactured by first Aearo and then 3M, you may have hearing damage. More than 230,000 veterans have filed suit against 3M, making it the largest multi-district lawsuit in history.
You Need Experienced Legal Advice
If your doctor diagnosed you with significant hearing loss, tinnitus, or other hearing damage after using the 3M earplugs, you may be entitled to compensation. If you or a loved one have hearing damage from using 3M’s defective earplugs, give the Madeksho Law Firm a call at 888-910-6376 or use our online contact form to set up a consultation. You won’t pay a fee unless we recover money on your behalf.
