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3M Company Knowingly Sold Defective Earplugs to the U.S. Military
3M’s Dual-Ended Combat Arms™ Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2), which are now no longer in production, were given to thousands of servicemen and servicewomen from 2003 to 2015 – putting them at risk for serious and permanent effects, including partial or total hearing loss and tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing in the ears.
3M’s earplugs were designed to be used as either standard earplugs or they could be turned around to provide the user with normal hearing while at the same time, protecting the eardrums from gunfire, explosions, or aircraft noise.
The claims filed against 3M state that their earplugs did not function as described, and were, in fact, not long enough to be properly inserted into a service member’s ears. Gradually, the earplugs loosen and become completely useless to the user.
3M Company Knowingly Sold Defective Earplugs to the U.S. Military
3M was aware of their design problems years before they became standard issue in the armed services. 3M knew that the earplugs failed to pass safety test after safety test, but still chose to sell the defective services to the U.S. military.
3M $9.1 Million Settlement
In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced that 3M “agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly sold dual-ended Combat Arms™ Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2) to the U.S. military without disclosing defects that hampered the effectiveness of the hearing protection device.”
The Justice Department claimed that the Minnesota-based company 3M defrauded the government when it sold faulty military earplugs. Specifically, the claim stated that between the years of 2003 and 2015, 3M knowingly put military personnel in harm’s way when they sold the government defective 3M Combat Arms™ Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2), which led to a large number of servicemen and women being put at risk of hearing loss or suffering other related problems such as tinnitus due to these defective earplugs.
Even though 3M did not accept any liability for the defective earplugs that they manufactured and sold, they agreed to settle the case with a $9.1 million payout with the whistleblower receiving $1.9 million.
Unfortunately, none of this money actually went to the servicemen and women who were injured or suffered hearing loss and other forms of impairment by using these earplugs. That is why, today, there are many servicemen and women coming forward seeking restitution for their suffering from the company.
Who Is Eligible for Financial Restitution from the 3M Earplugs Lawsuit?
Because the case was brought the False Claims Act, the proceeds went directly to the U.S military. As such, to get just restitution, individual soldiers need to level their own lawsuits against the company. If you or a loved one served in the military and may be suffering hearing loss or associated disorders, then you might be eligible for financial recovery based on the 3M earplug lawsuit. This is especially true if you or a loved one meets the following criteria:
- Was serving in the United States military during or between 2003 and 2015
- During that time, you used 3M Combat Arms™ Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2) at any given time
- You now suffer full or partial hearing loss. This might include tinnitus, permanent hearing damage or deafness
The symptoms associated with tinnitus vary and may include ringing in your ear, a roaring sound, buzzing, or whistling sounds in your ears. These are sounds that are not emanating from any external source and can only be heard by you. They may occur intermittently or may be continuous.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Just fill out the contact information fields on our site herein providing a summary of your subject matter so we can get to the right subject matter expert or call us at 757-393-6020 or toll-free @ 800-793-4816 for a free case evaluation and legal consultation. We will respond soon thereafter with a personal interface to collect more information about your case.
This initial consultation will be at NO COST TO YOU and is CONFIDENTIAL. That means you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
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