3M Combat Earplugs Lawyers

In 2016, a whistleblower filed a qui tam claim against 3M under the False Claims Act. The whistleblower alleged that 3M knew the earplugs had a flaw that allowed them to inadvertently come out of the ear, leaving soldiers without adequate protection. The whistleblower, however, claims that even after hearing about the dangers of 3M’s earplugs, the military continued to use them. The lawsuit was ultimately resolved by the Department of Justice in 2018. Less than a year after that, a federal judicial panel consolidated thousands of hearing loss claims into the 3M Combat Arms Earplug MDL.

What Is Multidistrict Litigation And How Does It Work?

Multidistrict litigation or MDL is a specialized federal legal procedure through which numerous—but comparable—cases against the same defendant are amalgamated. The goal of multidistrict litigation is to make it easier to manage complicated cases with a large number of plaintiffs. An MDL is distinct from a class action lawsuit in that it considers each claim to be unique. MDL plaintiffs operate their own litigation, and if they win, they are entitled to monetary compensation that reflects their actual losses.

More than 140,000 veterans have filed claims against 3M Combat Arms Earplug MDL since it was launched in April 2020. The number of allegations, on the other hand, is likely to rise considerably due to the earplugs being supplied as standard issues in several military branches during overseas conflicts between 2003 and 2015. According to a 3M whistleblower, millions of soldiers may have been exposed to hearing risk from the earplugs.

What Do The Lawsuits Against 3M Allege?

The lawsuits claim that the faulty construction of 3M’s combat earplugs caused soldiers to suffer hearing loss and tinnitus. They also claim that 3M was aware of the issue and potential harm to soldiers, but sold them anyhow, without providing warnings about the dangers.

Soldiers claim that they used 3M Combat Arms earplugs during training and combat, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. They describe using the plugs for ear protection during live combat and live-fire—activities that exposed them to a slew of loud noises and explosions, including grenade launchers, machine guns, automatic weapons, rocket assaults, automobile bombs, and low-flying planes.

Who Can File A Hearing Loss Claim Over Defective 3M Earplugs?

Those who served in the military between 2003 and 2015 and have been diagnosed with partial or total hearing loss or tinnitus as a result of using CAEv2 earplugs could be eligible for a lawsuit against 3M.