Between 2003 and 2015, military personnel experienced risk for permanent hearing loss and other hearing impairments due to allegedly defective 3M combat arms earplugs. Military veterans with hearing loss and tinnitus are fighting back with the 3M earplugs lawsuit. If you or a loved one served in the military during this time and suffered hearing loss and/or tinnitus, you may be entitled to compensation. Read on to learn more about the facts behind 3M combat earplug lawsuits.
1. Affected Dates
If you are a veteran that served in the U.S. military from 2003 until 2015 and used the 3M earplugs and you have experienced hearing loss or tinnitus from your time in the service, you may have a potential 3M earplug claim.
2. 3M Earplugs Lawsuit Allegations
Lawsuits against 3M claim that the company provided allegedly defective earplugs to U.S. military personnel for more than a decade. Complaints allege that earplugs that were handed out between 2002 and 2015 were too short for proper insertion into users’ ears. As such, it put users at great risk for permanent hearing loss, hearing impairment, and tinnitus.
3. Defective Dual-Ended Earplugs
The Dual-ended 3M combat earplugs listed in lawsuit had yellow on one end and green on the other. The different colors indicated a certain level of noise protection for the wearer. Unfortunately, the basic function of the earplugs was faulty because they were too short. Another basic problem was that the earplugs could easily loosen imperceptibly in the user’s ear. Both of these shortcomings exposed military personnel to harmful noise levels that contributed to permanent hearing loss and/or tinnitus.
4. $9.1 Million Settlement
In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced that 3M Company had to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly sold the dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) to the United States military without disclosing defects that hampered the effectiveness of the hearing protection devices. The now-discontinued dual-ended Combat Arm Earplugs were standard-issued equipment for Afghanistan and Iraq soldier serving between 2002 and 2015.
5. New Combat Arms Earplugs Lawsuits
In an effort to recover compensation on behalf of military personnel who were injured due to faulty 3M earplugs, attorneys are forming individual 3M earplugs lawsuits specific to personal experience and injuries. Monetary compensation could cover medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages resulting from the use of these alleged defective combat arms earplugs.
Call Us Today!
If you are a veteran who served in the military between 2003 and 2015, used the 3M earplugs and have suffered hearing loss or tinnitus, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. To learn more about your legal rights, call Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. for a free legal consultation.
For more information or to consult with one of our experienced New York 3M earplug lawsuit attorneys, please call Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. at 1-800-529-9997.
