3M Earplug Lawsuit Settlement Loans

The 3M Earplug Lawsuit Is The Largest Mass Tort Litigation…EVER.

TriMark Legal Funding provides lawsuit loans to plaintiffs injured by 3M dual-sided earplugs.

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TriMark Legal Funding provides low-cost cash advances to veterans injured by 3M dual-sided earplugs who are part of the 3M lawsuit.

3M Earplug Lawsuit Funding Suspended

July 28, 2022 – Due to the uncertainty surrounding 3M’s bankruptcy proposal, TriMark Legal Funding is not currently offering legal funding on the 3M earplug lawsuit.

When 3M enters meaningful settlement discussions, legal funding will again become available. We will update this page if/when that happens.

3M Earplug Lawsuit

Earplugs are such a tiny thing in the grand scheme of things. And yet the 3M earplug lawsuit has become the largest consolidated mass tort litigation in history. Agent Orange, Asbestos, Big Tobacco, Opioids, Vioxx; it dwarfs them all.

From 2003 to 2015, the United States military bought about 10-million pairs of 3M dual-sided earplugs. But 3M had a secret; a big one.

3M Earplug Lawsuit Settlement Funding
3M Combat Arms Earplugs

They knew as early as 2000 that their 3M Combat Arms earplugs were defective.

Instead of fixing the problem, 3M conducted faulty testing and kept quiet and knowingly misled US government officials for 12 years regarding the safety and efficacy of the earplugs. And earned nearly $100 million in the process.

3M knowingly failed to protect millions of servicemembers and caused serious, irreversible hearing damage.

A whistleblower exposed the deception in 2018 and forced 3M to settle a False Claims Act with the government for $9.1 million.

But that $9.1 million didn’t shield 3M from what’s coming next.

3M now faces over 288,000 defective earplugs lawsuits and counting. And this time they will be held accountable.

3M Earplugs Lawsuit Settlement Funding

Are you a veteran with a 3M earplug lawsuit?

Are you having trouble paying bills while your attorney negotiates your lawsuit settlement?

If you are, then consider this.

Pre-settlement funding from TriMark Legal Funding is a fast, discreet, 100% risk-free way to access some of your future settlement money immediately. There are:

✔️ No credit checks
✔️ No monthly payments
✔️ No income or employment hassles
✔️ FREE to apply

The best part is that you only repay the advance after your case has been settled. And if it doesn’t, you can keep the money and owe nothing.

And after you’re approved, you could receive cash in as quickly as 4 hours!

A Word About 3M Earplug Lawsuit Funding

In recent months, many of the law firms that represent 3M earplug clients have adopted a policy of no longer cooperating with legal funding companies.

If your law firm is one of them, it will be impossible for you to get a lawsuit cash advance.

BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR LEGAL FUNDING:

Please contact your attorney, tell them you would like to apply for legal funding and ask if they will cooperate with the process. If they say yes, go ahead and complete an application here. If they say no, there is no need for you to spend your time completing an application because you will be unable to obtain funding anywhere.

GET LEGAL FUNDING NOW

3M Earplugs Lawsuit Loan FAQ

❓ Q: Can My Attorney Prevent Me From Getting A 3M Earplug Lawsuit Loan?

A: Yes. A number of law firms that are involved with the 3M earplug lawsuit have informed TriMark that they will not cooperate with legal funding companies.

Because we rely on the attorney or law firm for repayment once a case settles, if your attorney is not willing to work with legal funding companies, you will be unable to get a cash advance on your 3M earplug lawsuit.

Before you apply for litigation funding, we strongly encourage you to contact your attorney and ask them if they will work with a legal funding company of your choice. If they say no, you will not be able to get lawsuit funding against your case.

❓ Q: What Are the 3M Earplug Lawsuit Individual Settlement Amounts?

A: The 3M Earplug litigation is still in the bellwether trials process and 3M has not entered into or agreed to any individual settlement amounts at this time.

❓ Q: How Much Are the 3M Earplug Lawsuit Settlement Amounts Going To Be?

A: 3M has lost a number of bellwether trials. Recent jury verdicts to plaintiffs include $22.5 million, $58 million, and $110 million. It is likely that 3M will try to appeal these verdicts.

At this time there is no information about how much individual 3M earplug lawsuit settlement amounts are going to be. However, given that nearly 300,000 service members have sued 3M claiming they suffered hearing damage as a result of using the earplugs in what has become the largest federal mass tort litigation in U.S. history.

In view of that, it is likely 3M will enter settlement discussions soon.

❓ Q: On The 3M Earplug Lawsuit, How Much Money Will I Get?

A: Since no settlement discussions are ongoing at this time, it’s anyone’s guess.

If recent jury verdicts ranging from $22.5 million to $110 million are any indication, individual settlement money will likely be substantial.

❓ Q: Are 3M Earplug Lawsuit Settlement Loans Available In My State?

A: We currently offer legal funding on the 3M lawsuit in the following states:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

If your state of residence is not listed above, you state has some type of limitation or restriction on funding. You can learn more by visiting States We Serve.

❓ Q: What Is The Average Payout For the 3M Earplug Lawsuit?

A: At this time, there is no “average” payout. To date, 3M has agreed to no settlements and has paid no settlements. And as far as we can tell, 3M has not paid any of the jury verdicts that have been awarded to plaintiffs either.

❓ Q: How Long Will The 3M Earplug Lawsuit Take?

A: Bellweather litigation has been ongoing since 2021. As of April 8, 2022 there have been 14 trials and 3M has prevailed in 6 of them. So at this point, they are losing only marginally more than they are winning.

Right now, it’s anyone’s guess how much longer the 3M earplug lawsuit will take to settle.

❓ Q: How Much Money Can I Get With Legal Funding

A: No 3M earplug cases have settled yet. As such, we are approaching these cases conservatively and we can fund up to about $10,000.

Once cases begin to settle, we can re-evaluate this amount. And once you have a settled case, we can fund up to 50% of the anticipated net value of your case.

The size of the lawsuit advance you are approved for will be determined by your case-specific details.

❓ Q: Can You Get Lawsuit Loans Without Attorney Representation?

A: No. To qualify for lawsuit funding, you must be represented by a contingent fee attorney.

❓ Q: What Happens If I Lose My Lawsuit or My Case Doesn’t Settle?

A: You keep the money we advanced and owe nothing.

❓ Q: Can I Get More Than One Round of Legal Funding on My 3M Earplug Lawsuit?

A: After you receive your initial funding from TriMark, you are always free to request additional funding at any time.

❓ Q: Is There a Maximum Amount of Legal Funding I Can Get On My 3M Lawsuit?

A: TriMark’s regular funding limits are as follows:

❇️ Pending Cases: Up to 20% of the anticipated net settlement amount.
❇️ Settled Cases: Up to 50% of the actual net settlement amount.

However, we are currently funding up to a maximum of about $10,000 on 3M claims until we see how settlement discussions develop.

❓ Q: What If I Took A Lawsuit Cash Advance From Another Legal Funding Company?

A: To fund additional, we would need to buyout the prior advance and we are not currently doing that on 3M earplug cases.

Have Questions?
Call and speak with one of our funding experts today.

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More 3M earplug lawsuit information you may be interested in:

3M Military Earplug Lawsuit Funding

3M Earplug Lawsuit In A Nutshell

In 2006, 3M signed a 10-year deal with the US military to supply 750,000 sets of earplugs a year for a guaranteed minimum of $9 million per year.

The problem?

3M knew as early as 2000 that the earplugs were defective and would cause hearing damage.

They could have fixed them and sold the military a better product.

Image by ConsumerNotice.org

Instead, they hunkered down, concealed the defect, and received over $100 million before they got caught.

If you have a 3M earplug lawsuit and need some of your future settlement money to pay bills now, TriMark can help.

GET LEGAL FUNDING NOW

A Word About 3M Earplug Lawsuit Funding

In recent months, many of the law firms that represent 3M earplug clients have adopted a policy of not cooperating with legal funding companies.

If your law firm is one of them, it will be impossible for you to get a lawsuit cash advance.

BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR LEGAL FUNDING:

Please contact your attorney, tell them you would like to apply for legal funding and ask if they will cooperate with the process. If they say yes, go ahead and complete an application here. If they say no, there is no need for you to spend your time completing an application because you will be unable to obtain funding anywhere.

Get Legal Funding Now

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Latest Developments in the 3M Earplug Lawsuit…

3M Earplug Lawsuit Began As A Small Patent Fight With Rival
The mountain of legal cases facing 3M Co. over its military-grade earplugs — it's facing tens of thousands of lawsuits from veterans and potentially more than $1 billion in liability — may have its roots in a much smaller intellectual-property fight with another earplug maker. That's the takeaway from a report in The Wall Street Journal, which delves into the legal history behind 3M's Combat Arms earplugs. The earplugs have drawn legal complaints from veterans who say they damaged their hearing. But the company has lost more than half the 16 lawsuits decided so far, with damages ranging from $1.7 million to more than $75 million. 3M is appealing some of the cases, but there are tens of thousands more ahead; a judge has ordered settlement talks. 3M got into the earplug business when it bought Aearo Technologies Inc. for $1.2 billion in 2008. A few years later, the Journal… Read more
3M loses latest earplug trial, now has nine defeats and six victories
A $2.2 million verdict against 3M is the latest outcome in an ongoing legal battle over allegedly defective earplugs the company long made for the U.S. military. 3M has now lost nine and won six bellwether trials aimed at setting the groundwork for a settlement in one of the largest U.S. mass tort cases ever. With only one more bellwether trial forthcoming, a settlement still appears elusive. A jury in the case before the U.S. District Court for northern Florida on Friday ruled in favor of Jonathon Vaughn, who served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2010. Vaughn, of Southside, Ala., claimed that 3M's Combat Arms CAEv2 earplugs caused his hearing loss and tinnitus. Damages awarded to plaintiffs — all with similar claims — amount to about $220 million. "It is clear 3M's defenses — whether in the courts, to investors or the public — are unconvincing and without… Read more
2 vets to get $110M in 3M earplugs suit
A federal jury Thursday awarded $110 million to two U.S. Army veterans who said they had hearing damage because of combat earplugs produced by multinational manufacturer 3M. It is the latest decision in a network of hundreds of thousands of lawsuits that accuse 3M of knowingly selling defective earplugs to the military. 3M has maintained that the since-discontinued product, which was marketed as Combat Arms earplugs, Version 2, was effective and safe to use. The decision Thursday represented the largest sum awarded to date in the earplug litigation against 3M. The two veterans, Ronald Sloan and William Wayman, were each awarded $15 million in compensatory damages and $40 million in punitive damages by a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida…. Read more
$22.5 Million Verdict in 3M Combat Earplug Trial
A jury in Pensacola, Florida has awarded U.S. Army Veteran Theodore Finley $22.5 million in a lawsuit seeking damages for hearing loss and tinnitus caused by combat earplugs sold by 3M Co. This latest verdict surpasses seven previous verdicts, including a $13 million verdict awarded by jurors to a U.S. Army sergeant last month. "It is always upsetting to see large, multi-billion corporations putting their profits above the safety and health of their consumers," said Texas Attorney Thomas J. Henry. "In this case, however, we saw 3M Co. take advantage of our U.S. servicemen and women. That is simply unacceptable, and the jury's verdict shows that the people our military members serve will not stand for it."… Read more
3M loses latest in series of military earplug cases
A $22.5 million jury verdict against 3M is the largest penalty yet in a series of trials over allegedly defective earplugs manufactured by the Maplewood-based company. A federal jury in Tallahassee, Fla., late last week ruled in favor of Theodore Finley, who served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2014. Finley alleged that he developed bilateral tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss while wearing 3M-made earplugs as he worked around weapon fire, generators, mechanized vehicles, helicopters and during training and combat. It was the eighth ruling in a series of bellwether trials against the company, and the fifth where the plaintiff prevailed. Three juries rejected all claims against 3M. The trials are part of what may be the largest U.S. mass tort ever, with more than 250,000 veterans … Read more
Bellwether Military Earplug Verdicts Underscores Importance of Establishing Government-Contractor Defense
In the most recent round of the long-running litigation over hearing protection supplied by manufacturing giant 3M and used by U.S. Military personnel from 2002 until 2015, Plaintiffs have obtained large verdicts in 3 out of 4 bellwether cases against 3M. In July 2018, 3M reached a $9.1-million settlement with the Department of Justice in a False Claims Act lawsuit. Subsequently, hundreds of thousands of individual claims followed in courts across the United State, with Plaintiffs alleging that 3M’s Combat Arms Earplugs (Version 2) were defective. In April 2019, the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered that all earplug lawsuits against 3M pending in federal district courts would be transferred to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida (the … Read more
3M Wins Lawsuit Over Military-Issued Earplugs
A federal jury in Florida sided with earplug manufacturer 3M that the company's product did not cause hearing loss for a veteran who used them while serving in the military. The trial was the second of three scheduled this year that could impact the outcome of a lawsuit involving nearly 236,000 veterans who were issued the earplugs while in the service. 3M, a Minnesota-based company, lost the first trial April in which a jury awarded $7.1 million to three Army veterans who said they suffered from hearing loss and tinnitus because of the earplugs. The second trial involved one veteran, Dustin McCombs, with a similar lawsuit. The jury on Friday determined 3M was not liable, negligent or fraudulent when selling earplugs to the military, according to court documents…. Read more
Pensacola jury awards $7.1 million in bellwether case over defective 3M military earplugs
More than 230,000 military members and veterans could receive millions in damages against 3M Co. after a Pensacola jury found the multinational corporation liable for hearing loss from defective earplugs the company sold the military for 12 years. A jury on Friday awarded more than $7.1 million in damages to three former service members from Kentucky and Georgia in the first "bellwether trial" of a massive and complex lawsuit against the company. If the verdict stands — and if similar verdicts are reached in more bellwether trials — 3M could pay out millions to service members who used the Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2). 3M and its subsidiary Aearo Technologies sold the earplugs to the Department of Defense from 2003 to 2015, and they … Read more
3M hit with $6MM punitive damages by U.S. jury in first combat earplug trial
3M Co was found liable on Friday for hearing damage suffered by three U.S. military veterans who accused the company of covering up design defects in its earplugs, a blow to 3M which faces more than 200,000 similar claims. The jury awarded each of the plaintiffs $2.1 million in punitive damages and a total of $830,500 in compensatory damages for their medical expenses, lost earnings and pain and suffering. The company was accused of hiding design flaws, fudging test results and failing to instruct the military in proper use of the earplugs, which were used by the Army between 2007 and 2013. "The evidence is clear: 3M knew their earplugs were defective, yet they allowed our servicemembers to suffer these life-altering injuries," said a statement … Read more
3M Forces VA Doctor to Testify About Hearing Exam
A Veterans Affairs audiologist must testify about a former military service member’s hearing exam for an upcoming test case in litigation over allegedly defective 3M Co. earplugs, a federal court in Florida ruled. Magistrate Judge Gary R. Jones’s Oct. 9 ruling for 3M is his second against an agency in recent months as the government seeks to avoid entanglement in the vast litigation consolidating suits by members of the military and others. The plaintiffs allege 3M’s Aearo Combat Arms Version 2 earplugs left them with hearing loss and… Read more
3M Combat Arms MDL Passes Asbestos as Largest Ever
3M Combat Arms Earplug products liability multidistrict litigation (MDL) now has the most actions of any MDL ever. And, as plaintiffs claim these earplugs were standard military issue for more than a decade, this may only be the tip of the iceberg. According to reports from the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Legislation, including the most recent Oct. 15 MDL Statistics Report, the IN RE: 3M Combat Arms Earplug Liability Litigation MDL has amassed 203,722 total actions since its 2018 inception, surpassing IN RE: Asbestos Products Liability Litigation, which has been pending since 1991. The 3M earplug litigation has its origins in a 2016 dispute under the False Claims Act between 3M and plaintiffs Moldex-Metric Inc. and the United States. In that case, 3M’s subsidiary, Aearo Technologies, allegedly supplied defective earplugs to the U.S. military, falsely certifying in response to the … Read more
Lawsuits against 3M moved to federal court
Lawsuits filed by nearly 40 U.S. veterans who sued 3M Co. for defective earplugs and hearing loss have been moved to federal court. The cases were moved from Hennepin County District Court to the federal court in Minnesota at the request of 3M, court records show. 3M has denied wrongdoing in the cases. The complaints are the latest of at least 635 veteran lawsuits making similar allegations against 3M and Aearo Technologies, which 3M bought in 2008. The lawsuits — the first of which a military veteran filed in December 2018 — represent more than 1,700 individuals, according to documents 3M filed with U.S. regulators in April. More lawsuits are expected, plaintiff attorneys said…. Read more
3M Earplug, Roundup, and Hernia Mesh Lawsuits Spike in 2019
The number of lawsuits involving Roundup weed killer, 3M military earplugs and hernia mesh products has grown significantly in 2019. The lawsuits are part of multidistrict litigations, or MDLs, which combine large numbers of similar federal cases. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is a special body within the United States federal court system tasked with establishing MDLs. The panel compiles current MDL statistics into monthly reports. According to the November 2019 report, the MDLs involving 3M earplugs and Roundup were among the country’s largest that month. Hernia mesh MDLs also remained near the top of the list…. Read more
Lawsuit says 3M combat arms earplugs don’t work, cause hearing loss for soldiers
Lawsuits are being filed across the country aimed at a product issued to thousands of members of the military. Earplugs are a basic item issued to service members who are sometimes in very loud environments. But the ones bought by the Defense Department from the 3M company didn’t work, according to the government, who says that has led to serious issues involving hearing loss. The earplugs in question are 3M’s combat arms earplugs. They were issued to service members from 2003 to 2015. Retired Army soldier Kevin McAnally says he spent two decades working on the CH47 Chinook helicopter. “With engines running on a flight line where you might have say a half a dozen to a dozen aircraft turning up and you’re out walking … Read more
How defective combat earplugs can cause long-term problems
Have you lost your hearing or developed tinnitus—a ringing in your ears—after serving in the military? If you served between 2003 and 2015, were issued two-sided black and yellow earplugs, and have developed hearing loss or tinnitus, you may be eligible for financial compensation in a large lawsuit. Here are the details: Military service members were issued 3M's Combat Arms Earplugs from 2003 to 2015. One side of the earplugs would allow low-intensity sounds through, such as speaking, and the other side would muffle sound more. They were the only dual-sided earplugs issued by the military. Unfortunately, they didn't work. "The earplugs didn't maintain a tight seal and allowed dangerously loud sounds to slip through without the wearer knowing," according to the Military Times. Signs of injury … Read more
Parker Waichman initiates over 500 3M earplug lawsuits
Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm, announced that they have served the defendants with lawsuits on behalf of more than 500 combat veterans who utilized the standard issue 3M Dual-Ended Combat Arms™ earplugs during deployment and/or while stationed state-side venued in Minnesota District Court for the Second Judicial District, County of Ramsey, against 3M Company and Aearo Technologies LLC. According to the complaints, former and current service members have been diagnosed with tinnitus and/or permanent hearing loss as a result of the earplugs' failure to protect their hearing from noise exposure during training and combat.  The suits seek damages for pain and suffering, medical expenses, mental anguish, loss of wages and earning capacity and more. The lawsuits contend, among other allegations, that 3M Company and Aearo Technologies failed to properly and/or adequately … Read more
3M Combat Earplugs Lawsuit | File Before Trials Start April 2021
3M earplug lawsuits claim that defective design of the Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEV2) caused them to loosen, leading to hearing damage or loss for thousands of veterans and active-duty military. More than 233,000 lawsuits have been filed nationwide. Only the whistleblower lawsuit has settled at this time. Why Are People Filing? 3M military earplugs lawsuits focus on a couple of claims: 3M's failure to disclose material design defects for over a decade prevented the U.S. military from seeking other, effective hearing protection options. Military personnel suffered hearing damage and loss due to the failure of 3M's CAEV2. These claims are very serious, especially in terms of their potential to inflict damages. Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 Design and Failure Aearo Technologies, Inc. … Read more
3M Military Combat Arms Earplug Lawsuit
In July 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice announced 3M agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle a Whistleblower False Claims Act suit accusing 3M of knowingly selling defective earplugs to the U.S. military. The settlement, filed in South Carolina federal court, was based upon allegations that 3M and its predecessor Aearo Technologies Inc. sold its Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) to the Defense Logistics Agency knowing they were too short to be properly inserted into a user’s ears. The defective earplugs are dual-ended and can be used either as traditional earplugs or can be flipped into an “open” position to attenuate explosion sounds while still letting through quieter noises. The plugs gradually loosen and failed to properly reduce loud noises. The U.S. Department of Justice … Read more
53 Lawyers Appointed to Lead 3M Earplug Lawsuits
A Florida judge has appointed 53 lawyers to lead hundreds of lawsuits brought by U.S. military members against 3M over allegedly defective earplugs, with Pensacola attorney Bryan Aylstock getting the top post. Aylstock, at Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, will oversee two other co-lead counsel, Shelley Hutson, of Houston’s Clark, Love & Hutson, and Chris Seeger, of Seeger Weiss in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, according to an order on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers, of the Northern District of Florida, also appointed two attorneys as co-liaison counsel, seven lawyers on an executive committee and 14 on a plaintiffs’ steering committee. She also appointed lawyers to nine subcommittees…. Read more
MDL Panel Sends Military Service Member’s Lawsuits Faulting 3M Earplugs to Northern District of Florida
A federal judicial panel has sent more than 640 lawsuits to Florida that allege defective earplugs caused hearing problems in U.S. military service members. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation coordinated the lawsuits, brought against 3M, in an order on Wednesday, selecting U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers of the Northern District of Florida…. Read more
The Pentagon Has Settled A Lawsuit Over Allegedly Defective 3M Earplugs. Now Veterans Are Suing, Too.
A recent legal settlement has brought fresh attention to two of the biggest health problems veterans face. The settlement concerned protective military earplugs that allegedly were defective. The Pentagon settled with the earplugs' maker 3M Company. And the two problems? Retired Army Brig. Gen. William Gothard of Fayetteville, N.C. has both of them. He said his 36 years of service have left him with hearing loss and a maddening condition called tinnitus. "It sounds like a chorus of cicadas sitting on your shoulders constantly, and the less ambient noise around, the worse that tinnitus is," he said. Medical experts say this constant distraction can be so bad that it undermines relationships and job performance by making it hard to concentrate on tasks or conversations. Gothard … Read more
3M settlement shows how little we care if veterans come home whole
Members of the armed forces for the United States military set a standard for performance unlike any the world has ever known. For those who serve in theaters of war, it often costs them the maximum. All give some; few come home the same. Our country has taken great strides to improve how we care for and provide to those who return from war with very visible injuries. The resources that are made available to our veterans who are maimed, dismembered and disfigured are immeasurably greater than what was available to servicemen and women of past generations. Prosthetics post 1993 Somalia come to mind as a great accomplishment. However, we continue as a society to fail those who come home with non-visible wounds. Worse, we … Read more
3M Conducts Faulty Testing to Obtain Exclusive Military Contract on Earplugs
According to a recently settled whistleblower lawsuit, 3M Company and its predecessor Aearo Technologies, Inc. —which supplied the U.S. military with Combat Arms Earplugs version 2 (CAEv2) between 2003 and 2015—made false statements about the effectiveness of those earplugs, unnecessarily putting millions of veterans in danger of developing hearing loss and tinnitus. Moldex-Metric, a competitor company that also manufacturers earplugs, filed the lawsuit under the False Claims Act. The U.S. Department of Justice later joined in the suit, and the plaintiffs secured a $9.1 million settlement agreement. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs’ alleged that 3M and Aearo (3M acquired Aearo in 2008) were aware of problems with the CAEv2 for years, yet continued to supply them to the military without disclosing the CAEv2’s defects. Manufacturer … Read more
Army settlement with earplug maker may lead to more suits by veterans
Retired Army General Jay Gothard said a legal settlement, between the maker of an earplug used by the military and the United States Department of Justice, made him feel violated. In the lawsuit, the U.S. government claimed that Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs, made by Aearo Technologies but later acquired by 3M and sold to the Army, were "dangerously defective" and contributed to significant hearing loss in service members. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, more than half (52 percent) of combat soldiers return home with moderate or severe hearing loss. It costs taxpayers an estimated $1 billion to treat the problem. Gothard showed WRAL News two identical sets of earplugs he was issued to dull the din of explosives and guns. "We spend … Read more
Vets with Hearing Loss May Have Defective 3M Earplugs to Blame
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were over 800,000 veterans living in the state of Pennsylvania between 2013 and 2017. The Center for Philanthropy states that Pennsylvania has the nation’s fourth largest veteran’s population and that the number of vets jumped by 46 percent between 2009 and 2013. Many of those veterans may be suffering from hearing loss and tinnitus because of potentially defective earplugs used in both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars between 2003 and 2015. The manufacturer, 3M Company, recently agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly supplied defective earplugs to the United States government. 3M Earplugs Supposed to Help Protect Soldiers’ Hearing The 3M dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2) were standard issue in the military … Read more
Tinnitus Anyone? 3M Covered Up Its Defective Military Earplugs Since 2000
In a settlement worth a paltry $9.1 million, 3M agreed to pay the government after being caught covering up its defective earplugs called dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2). The company sold its earplugs to the US military without disclosing problems with its effectiveness. Basically, the earplugs would come loose in the ear canal and not perform as well. Those curious about the lawsuit should look up United States ex rel. Moldex-Metric v. 3M Company, case number 3:16-cv-1533-MBS (DSC). “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the men and women serving in the United States military from defective products and fraudulent conduct,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Department’s Civil Division. “Government contractors who seek to profit at the … Read more
Contractor Settles for $9.1M after Providing Defective Earplugs for Troops
A contractor has agreed to pay $9.1 million to the U.S. government for selling defective earplugs issued to thousands of servicemembers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan from 2003 to 2015. Known as "selective attenuation earplugs," 3M's Combat Arms earplugs would "loosen in the wearers ear, imperceptibly to the wearer and even trained audiologists visually observing a wearer, thereby permitting damaging sounds to enter the ear canal by traveling around outside of the earplug," according to the whistleblower lawsuit complaint, which was settled Thursday. The earplugs were designed to be worn in two ways. The wearer could insert the plugs one way if they needed to hear speech and another way if they needed greater noise protection. The plugs looked like two inverted cones connected at … Read more
3M will pay $9M over defective military earplugs
3M Co. has agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle a claim it sold defective earplugs to the U.S. military.  Military Times reports on the settlement, announced late last week by the U.S. Department of Justice. Maplewood-based 3M (NYSE: MMM) admitted no wrongdoing in the deal. The government had accused 3M and Aearo Technologies Inc. of knowingly providing the military with earplugs that were too short, causing them to gradually loosen in the some users' ears until they didn't provide protection. 3M bought Aearo in 2007. The Star Tribune also has a report, noting that lawsuit dates to a 2016 filing by a whistleblower recently identified as Moldex-Metric Inc., an earplug maker that has sparred in court with 3M previously. Moldex will get a portion of the settlement. In a statement, 3M … Read more
3M settles defective combat earplug case for $9.1 million
Without admitting liability, 3M Co. has agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle allegations that it supplied the U.S. military with defective earplugs, Department of Justice officials announced late Thursday. The settlement, which involves the second version of 3M’s “dual-ended combat arms earplugs” (CAEv2), resolves a whistleblower’s allegations that 3M violated the federal False Claims Act by selling defective earplugs to the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, Justice officials said in a statement. “Specifically, the United States alleged that 3M, and its predecessor, Aearo Technologies Inc., knew the CAEv2 was too short for proper insertion into users’ ears and that the earplugs could loosen imperceptibly and therefore did not perform well for certain individuals. The United States further alleged that 3M did not disclose this design defect to the military,” the statement said. The allegations were initially brought up in a 2016 lawsuit filed by a whistleblower, one recently identified (via… Read more
Company to pay $9 million after allegedly selling defective combat earplugs to US military
A contracting company agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly sold the U.S. military defective earplugs. The Minnesota-based 3M Company allegedly sold its dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2, to the Defense Logistics Agency without disclosing defects that decreased the actual effectiveness of the hearing protection the device offered. “Government contractors who seek to profit at the expense of our military will face appropriate consequences," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division in a Thursday press release. The allegations were brought against 3M through the enforcement of the False Claims Act, according to the release. Although the case has been resolved, all claims within the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination … Read more

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