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