3M Combat Earplug Settlement with Government
In July 2018, 3M reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice for over $9.1 million for selling the government defective earplugs. The earplugs were sold as Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) and were used by service members in all branches of the military who were on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan between 2003 and 2015.
The earplugs have been found to have significant defects which may result in long term or permanent hearing loss and tinnitus. The news of this was a shock to veterans, their families, the U.S. government, and legal advocates. Now, over a decade after the earplugs were issued, veterans who suffered from the defective products may have the right to recover compensation.
To speak immediately with an earplug hearing loss lawyer, please call Wieand Law Firm, LLC.
The Defects Found in the 3M Earplugs
Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) were first developed by Aearo Technologies, Inc. They were tested in 2000 by Aearo employees rather than an independent third party, contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense and 2003 and bought out by 3M in 2008. 3M expanded on the design by creating an earplug that functioned in two ways. One that blocked out all noise and the other from blocking out noise except spoken words.
Active duty service men and women in the Air Force, Marines, Army, and Navy were issued the earplugs between 2003 and 2015. The lawsuit alleged the company was aware of the defects in 2000, but ignored them or hide them from the U.S. government. It took a whistleblower to expose the fact that the earplugs were not safe, in addition to a huge spike in hearing loss in veterans, according to the Veterans Affairs.
The defective earplugs were too short; thereby could not block out all sounds in certain wearers. The resulted in the wearer unknowingly exposing their ear drum to sounds from gunfire, explosions, machines, and aircraft, resulting in damage to the ear and hearing loss.
Any Veteran Who Used Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2), and Suffers from Hearing Loss or Tinnitus May File a Lawsuit Against 3M
Any US veteran who has suffered from hearing related problems and used these earplugs between 2003 and 2015 may retain an earplug hearing loss lawyer to recover damages. The government has said that 3M is responsible for ensuring the create safe products, and they failed to do so. Now, they have a duty to pay money to anyone who was affected by their defective earplugs. That being said, 3M does not have to track down each individual person; rather, it will be up to the injured veteran to pursue legal action. Although you may be able to do so on your own, it is not recommended and could result in minimum payouts and complications.
An earplug hearing loss lawyer can handle your Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) lawsuit on contingency. This means, you only pay if you win your case.
To learn more about the 3M earplug lawsuit, call Wieand Law Firm, LLC.
