Mass Tort Attorneys

3M Defective Earplugs Mass Tort Lawsuit

When serving the country and putting your life on the line in the military, you expect to be given the right equipment. Sadly, this wasn’t the case for hundreds of troops between 2003 and 2015. As a result, 3M, a leading technology company, now faces serious allegations and legal consequences. If you’ve been affected by this government contractor, feel free to contact The Injury Firm for help today.

3M Defective Earplugs

Every year, the government relies on contractors to provide high-quality goods and services both in the military and other areas of life. In the military especially, troops need the very best equipment to protect their lives (as well as the lives of others around them). When thinking about military equipment, the mind automatically jumps to weapons and defensive equipment. However, smaller items are just as important, and this includes earplugs.

For many years, 3M had the government contract to provide troops with earplugs. Unfortunately, it seems there was a design flaw in that it didn’t completely seal off the user’s ears against loud sounds. Not only was this design flaw present, but the company didn’t make any attempt to inform the military of the fault.

After many years of service, some vets after now experiencing the side effects of this fault. This includes:

• Tinnitus
• Hearing loss
• Loss of balance
• Other hearing problems

Response from 3M About Defective Earplugs for the Military

Did the company defend its position and deny all the accusations? Well, actually, no. Instead, the company agreed to pay over $9 million to the government to settle claims from hundreds of vets. Before the name change, 3M was called Aearo Technologies Inc, and both iterations of the company were aware of the defect in the product sold to the Defense Logistics Agency.

Despite its knowledge of the defect, the company did not pass these concerns on to the military. Over the 12 years in question, the military bought a total of 750,000 earplugs (15,000 packages each containing 50 earplugs). In 2015, the company eventually decided to discontinue the product but didn’t recall the defective products already sold.

Legal Challenges from the Military Regarding Defective 3M Earplugs

After the stories started to mount, the US government decided to take action and claimed against 3M based on the False Claims Act. This has now been resolved, but the Justice Department said that no determination of liability was made during the case. As a result, vets have come together to claim against 3M separately in a mass tort lawsuit. Around one hundred vets have compiled cases in a mass tort lawsuit and the copy suggests ‘gross negligence’ from the company.  When victims claim against a company separately and independently in one lawsuit, it is called a mass tort suit rather than a class action lawsuit where individuals don’t file independently.

The mass tort lawsuit claims that, since the product was never recalled by 3M, troops in the military could still be using surplus supplies right now. Scarily, the mass tort lawsuit also suggests that the company first learned of the fault in 2000, years before the contract began with the military. The company found the error during testing and the lawsuit suggests that certification was falsified suggesting that earplugs were fit for purpose according to military standards.

The earplug in question is the Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs. In the advertising material for the product, 3M claims that the triple-flange design fits most ears. Now, veterans around the country are seeking punitive damages, and you can claim against the company too if you’ve been affected by this negligence.

Seeking Compensation For Defective 3M Earplugs

If you’ve been injured as a result of this negligence from 3M defective earplugs, you need a personal injury attorney who can file as part of the mass tort lawsit, and this is exactly what you have at The Injury Firm. You may be able to obtain compensation if you were a member of the military and now experience hearing problems after using 3M earplugs.

Sadly, nothing can reverse the hearing problems you experience and the suffering this causes both you and your family. However, you can at least help your financial situation with compensation (while also holding the company accountable for its actions). If your injuries were caused by 3M’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to deal with the medical bills alone.

When working with a personal injury attorney, you’ll file a mass tort claim against the company to recover damages caused by the injury. Although each case is different in the mass tort claim, your claim might include:

• Lost wages
• Medical bills
• Loss of earning potential
• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering

Since hearing problems often lead to continued medical care, your claim will include both current medical bills and future expenses. We have a dedicated team waiting to gather evidence and help your case against 3M. Don’t worry, the fact that 3M is a major corporation doesn’t present an issue because we have the resources to rise to the challenge. We’re determined to get the compensation you deserve and hold 3M accountable for its poor conduct towards the military and the whole country.

Potential Hearing Problems From Defective 3M Earplugs Provided to the Military

The issue with the 3M earplugs was that…well, they didn’t actually plug the ears. Therefore, it left soldiers exposed to loud noises. Three common hearing problems include:

• Tinnitus - The most common symptom of this issue is a constant buzzing or ringing sound in the ear. As you can imagine, this causes lots of stress and frustration. Sufferers often find it difficult to relax, sleep, concentrate, and enjoy life.

• Hearing Loss - With inner ear damage, sound signals aren’t sent to the brain and this causes hearing loss. You might struggle to differentiate between sounds, pick up certain noises, or recognize different pitches. Although aids and implants help, it’s normally impossible to reverse hearing loss.

• Loss of Balance - Finally, inner ear damage can also cause issues with balance. You might feel a general unsteadiness or a floating sensation despite not moving. In some cases, this is a side effect of tinnitus or hearing loss.

Reach out to the helpful, professional, and friendly team at The Injury Firm. As experts in Mass Torts, we know the dangers associated with Roundup and we know the suffering that Monsanto has caused over the years. At the moment, all claims are being filed as part of a larger mass tort claim.

Mass Tort - This is an effective way of compiling multiple claims when they’re made against one single entity. Rather than filing all lawsuits individually, your case will go into a larger mass tort litigation process. Despite being grouped with others, a judge will still hear the individual circumstances of your case, and compensation is then decided accordingly.

The notable Johnson vs Monsanto case set a precedent and opened the door for thousands of others to file against the company. If you’ve been affected by Roundup, don’t let the company’s negligence and reckless actions go unpunished. Claim for lost wages, medical expenses (past and future), pain and suffering, and other damages.

Get Started Today

Most people in this situation wonder whether or not they have a case, and it all starts with your experience with Roundup. If you’ve used Roundup and were later diagnosed with leukemia or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, you may be entitled to compensation for the damages that arose as a consequence of this diagnosis. If you’re reading this after a loved one passed away, you may also be eligible for compensation through a wrongful death claim.

Roundup has been linked to the following:

• Follicular lymphoma
• Mantle cell lymphoma
• Hairy-cell leukemia
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Certain intricacies come with filing a mass tort compared to a standard product liability claim. Therefore, you need a professional mass tort litigation lawyer. The Injury Firm will create a case that considers the dangers associated with Roundup, draws links between Roundup and cancer, holds Monsanto accountable for its actions, and obtains the compensation that you both need and deserve after this horrific experience.

If you’ve been injured as a result of the 3M defective earplugs, reach out to the passionate team at The Injury Firm today who can include your case in the mass tort lawsuit. It starts with a free consultation and you won’t pay anything until the resolution of the case itself!