Thursday, June 20, 2019 - In order to appreciate the scope of how damaging hearing loss can be The Hearing Health Foundation reports that most people with severe hearing loss and tinnitus eventually lose their minds. "The risk of dementia may be up to five times greater in people with untreated hearing loss." The institute also has found that hearing aids can help 80% of people with hearing loss but only 1 in 4 people with hearing loss use them. Studies have found that adults that use hearing aids have reduced depression symptoms and increased quality of life.
The scope of the negligence on the part of 3M for knowingly selling defective hearing protection to the US military during a time of armed conflict may not be getting the attention that it truly deserves. Military men and women put their lives on the line when called to do so without so much as questioning why they are doing so. Our brave soldier's trust was betrayed by 3M Corporation fraudulently selling the defective Army earplugs without warning them that they did not work. Combat earplug lawsuits national attorneys represent many armed services members who suffer from hearing loss related to defective army earplugs and offer a free no obligation consultation.
Hearing protection may be the most valuable piece of equipment we provide our soldiers. All a person has to do to understand the critical importance of hearing protection is to go to the local gun range and fire off a few rounds to experience the ear-splitting concussion that gunfire produces. We ask our service members stationed in active combat military zones to experience close-range high-decibel gunfire noises, not for five minutes once in their lifetime, but for hours and hours every single day, often for months on end. Given what we now know about the defective 3M Army earplugs, it is a miracle that service personnel returned home with any hearing at all.
When the 3M Army Earplug failed during combat our soldiers were left virtually deaf, and during the heat of combat, one does not get to call a time out. When a soldier's hearing protection failed them they had to continue the battle to the end without the ability to communicate with other soldiers or to receive life-saving instructions. The defective 3M Army Earplug may be directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of soldiers during combat. Service members that have survived and returned home with hearing damage are filing suit against 3M for knowingly selling the defective army earplug. The US government sued 3M in July 2018 and settled for a tiny fraction of the amount they should have been forced to pay. WGME.com, a sister station of CBS News reports "3M agreed to pay more than $9 million to resolve allegations the company knew about "dangerous design defects" with its CAEv2 earplugs but sold the product anyway."
Soldiers that survived hearing loss during combat have a permanent, irreversible and debilitating condition known as tinnitus that effects their lives 24/7. A person suffering from severe tinnitus never gets a moment rest as tinnitus gets the loudest at the moment other sounds decrease or stop. One service member suing 3M told CBS that everyone he knew just assumed that their earplug, like their goggles, helmets, and rifles were state of the art and the best money could buy in spite of the fact that 3M secretly knew otherwise. "Everybody was just under the impression that these particular earplugs were doing their job."
Our attorneys specialize in holding large corporations accountable when they’ve placed profits ahead of safety. Through settlements and winning verdicts, our attorneys have obtained millions for our clients. Let us help you today.
Filing a lawsuit will allow you to hold 3M accountable for damage it has caused you or a loved one, while also providing real compensation for your medical expenses, suffering and loss. Contact us today for a free consultation.