Rice Law Firm - Injury Lawyer Shreveport Bossier City Louisiana
Have you suffered tinnitus or hearing loss after wearing 3M earplugs?
If you wore 3M earplugs during active duty service from 2003-2015 and are now suffering from hearing loss or tinnitus due to defective 3M earplugs, you may be entitled to compensation. For a free and confidential consultation, call us today.
3M Combat Arms Earplug Attorneys
Rice Law Firm defective product attorneys represent victims and their families against corporate giants.
Currently, hundreds of veterans by the hundreds are filing lawsuits against a government contractor that manufactured combat earplugs. The earplugs were intended to maintain a tight seal but instead allowed damaging sounds to penetrate without the soldier knowing.
The lawsuits allege that 3M Company (formerly Aearo Technologies) knowingly designed the earplugs in a defective manner and failed to provide proper instructions for their use or warn users of the defect.
The failure to warn users has allegedly resulted in injuries, including tinnitus, loss of balance, and hearing loss in those who used 3M's trademarked, dual-ended Combat Arms earplugs produced from 2003 through 2015.
More than one hundred lawsuits were filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas — Waco Division. Due to the potential widespread damage, these cases are just the beginning; more lawsuits are likely as the product was never recalled and possibly still in use.
3M advertised that its Combat Arms earplugs allowed users to hear both commands and approaching enemy combatants without impairment. Testing conducted by 3M found that the earplugs were defective, but the company falsified certification stating that testing complied with military standards. The company's fraud has resulted in permanent injuries to American servicemen and women.
The U.S. government entered into a contract with 3M in 2006, in which 3M agreed to supply 15,000 earplugs annually, at a price of $9 million a year. The military contract ran through 2015 when 3M discontinued the product.
Military personnel was exposed to risk for hearing loss and other impairments for the years the earplugs were used. If you or a loved one has suffered from tinnitus or hearing loss and served in the military during 2003 to 2015, you could be entitled to compensation.
Time Frame 2003 and 2015 – Military personnel experiencing hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ear) having used standard issue 3M Company (3M) Combat Arms earplugs.
Lawsuit Allegations The current claims filed allege that military contractor 3M knowingly sold defective 3M Combat Arms earplugs to the U.S. military between 2003 and 2015.
The Dual-ended 3M combat earplugs listed in lawsuits are described as yellow on one end and green on the other. The color description indicates a level of noise protection. Nevertheless, the primary function of the earplugs was faulty from the start. The earplugs were too short and could loosen imperceptibly during use. Both design deficiencies exposed military personnel to damaging noise levels that contribute to tinnitus, hearing loss, or possibly both.
Military personnel were most likely issued defective 3M Combat Arms earplugs domestically (prior to deployment or at stateside training bases) and in the following war zones:
Indian Ocean – Operation Ocean Shield
North-West Pakistan – War on Terror
Operation Ocean Shield in the Indian Ocean
The Consequence of Lawsuits To Date
A July 2018 verdict found 3M Company liable for knowingly selling defective combat arms earplugs (CAEv2) to the U.S. military without disclosing the earplugs could result in users developing tinnitus and/or hearing loss resulted in a $9.1 million settlement to the U.S. Military from 3M.
What happened with the $9.1 Million Settlement
The original whistleblower case was filed under the False Claims Act, so the $9.1 million settlement went directly to the U.S. military. This awarded compensation went to the government to cover funds spent on purchasing 3M's allegedly defective combat arms earplugs. The 2018 3M settlement does not benefit injured military personnel.
Combat Arms Earplugs Lawsuits
- Where Things Are Today -
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) met on March 28, 2019, to consider consolidation of the nationwide claims in the 3M Combat Arms Earplugs lawsuits. The JPML determined the cases were to be consolidated and sent to the Northern District of Florida before Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
In an effort to recover compensation on behalf of the soldiers injured by 3M, our attorneys are reviewing individual claims for filing lawsuits on behalf of service men and women. Compensation could cover medical bills, pain and suffering, and additional damages from resulting injuries.
Contact the Rice Law Firm for a free, confidential case evaluation at 318-861-8661.​
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We will review your claim for free and without any obligation on your part. We will keep confidential your name and information to the full extent under the law. We can only serve as your attorney if we both agree, in writing, that we will serve as your counsel. The use of the Internet for communications with the firm will not establish an attorney-client relationship and messages containing confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent.
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Rice Law Firm
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Shreveport, Louisiana 71106
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