The 3M Combat Arms double-ended earplugs were purchased by the U.S. military to solve a serious problem: Service-members getting hearing loss or damage. Conditions like tinnitus and complete or partial hearing loss in or both ears can be common in veterans.
As of 2017, more than 2.7 million veterans were receiving disability benefits for some kind of hearing loss or damage, and more than 20% of all vets who served between 2003 and 2015 are receiving disability benefits for hearing loss or damage.
The 3M earplugs were designed and marketed to the U.S. Department of Defense as a solution to this problem. The earplugs would securely fit inside the ears of service-members and prevent repeated loud noise from penetrating the ear canals and causing hearing damage.
The only problem is that they didn’t work. The 3M earplugs simply didn’t securely seal inside the ear canal. This led service members operating in noisy environments to suffer serious and often permanent hearing loss or damage.
The Lidji Firm attorneys are fighting for justice and compensation on behalf of veterans whose hearing was damaged while wearing 3M earplugs. Lawsuits against 3M are in progress across the country, and if you’re a veteran who suffered hearing loss or damage that can be attributed to 3M’s earplugs, you may be eligible for compensation, too.
A Potentially Dangerously Faulty Product
There is serious evidence suggesting that the manufacturers knew about the failures long before they became public. 3M has already paid a $9.1 million settlement to the Justice Department
to resolve allegations that they knew about the defects in the product and failed to warn the military. As part of the deal, 3M did not admit any liability and the Justice Department did not make a determination of liability.
The government’s lawsuit alleged that 3M employees knew about defects in the earplugs that prevented it from forming a tight seal as early as 2000, while the company was still selling them to the military as late as 2015. The earplugs are double-tipped with tips of slightly different size, and 3M claimed that by using one tip or the other, every single user would be able to find a perfect seal. Scores of civil lawsuits filed on behalf of service members make similar allegations.
Holding Them Accountable
We don’t think 3M should be able to get away with this. If you or a loved one served in the military and suffered hearing injuries while wearing 3M earplugs, we want to fight for you. You can call today or anytime for a free consultation, and if we take your case we will go to work for you with zero upfront costs or fees. You only pay if we win for you.
We’ve recovered millions for our clients to date, and we want to for you too.
We’re proud to put those resources to work for our members of the military. We’ve recovered millions for our clients to date, and we want to for you too. Call today.
Download a Guide for 3M Military Earplugs Lawsuit with The Lidji Firm
