Military Hearing Loss Claims

Defective Earplugs were Standard Issue for More Than 10 years.

Combat Arms Earplugs™ made by 3M allegedly have a dangerous design that can cause them to subtly loosen while being worn. This defect can allow dangerous sounds to enter the ear canal and cause hearing damage, one of the largest ongoing medical problems facing soldiers today. According to the department of Veterans Affairs, Tinnitus is the most common impairment experienced by veterans with more than 2.7 million getting compensation for it.

3M has already paid out $9.1 Million in a settlement to the federal government.

According to the DOJ lawsuit, 3M has known since 2000, that the earplugs were defective. Originally created by Aearo Technologies, 3M hired Aearo employees who developed and tested the earplugs after acquiring the company in 2008. These employees were aware of the defects as early as 2000, several years before 3M became the exclusive provider of selective attenuation earplugs to the military.

Because that settlement does not provide compensation for injured service members or vets, those who were harmed after using 3M Combat earplugs will need to file their own claims to seek a recovery of their damages.