3M May Settle Army Earplug Cases For Tens of Billions of Dollars

Insider whistleblower testimony confirms that the manufacturer of the Dual-Sided Army Earplug knew they would not work as advertised

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 - Jury selection has begun in the 3M Army Earplug trial. Three plaintiffs represent more than a quarter of one million soldiers that have filed claims. The lawsuits accuse 3M of lying to the military about the ability of their hearing protection device to work properly. As a result of the allegedly faulty earplugs, hundreds of thousands of soldiers have suffered hearing damage in one form or another that has prevented them from re-entering society. Some veterans suffer from tinnitus, the constant ringing in the ears. Hearing disability prevents veterans from being able to hold a job or have normal spousal or family relationships. Soldiers returning with tinnitus report ongoing psychological trauma from not being able to sleep or hold a conversation with another person. The trial that is underway will serve as a bellwether and could force 3M to offer a settlement. Damages against 3M could be enormous for a couple of reasons. The first is because the large number of plaintiffs that have come forward makes this case the largest federal mass tort lawsuit in US history. Hearing loss is the leading reason soldiers have filed for disability income benefits that will continue for decades. According to an article published by Reuters the other day, "More than 1 million veterans receive compensation for hearing loss, which is the leading service-related disability, according to 2015 government data." Plaintiffs that have been injured range in age from 30 to 49, the beginning of their peak earning potential years. It is estimated that they will receive billions in taxpayer-funded disability benefits over the decades to come. Army Earplug lawsuit lawyers offer a no obligation, free consultation to families and individuals that suffered hearing damage from the 3M Army Earplugs.

The focus of the Army Earplug trials could be the testimony of the Aearo company insider that, along with the Department of Justice (DOJ) successfully sued 3M after accusing them of a cover-up. 3M was forced to pay a $9.1 million fine and did not admit responsibility.

The company is accused of conspiring to cover up their knowledge of the Army Earplug's literal shortcomings also. "At the heart of the trial is a question that's central to all the lawsuits: Did earplug designers at Aearo Technologies, which was acquired by 3M, manipulate test results, hide design shortcomings and fail to instruct the military in the proper use of the earplugs?" according to Reuters. The company is also accused of price gouging the military that has a reputation of purchasing $1000 toilet seats and $500 hammers. The 3M Earplug "according to court records cost 85 cents to make and were sold for $7.63."

The 3M Army Earplug was designed by Aearo Inc., which was acquired by 3M, in response to the military's need for a hearing protection device that would allow low-frequency voice field communications to be heard while also preventing hearing damage caused by loud sounds. The redesigned earplug is allegedly too short and does not fit all ear canal sizes.

More Recent 3M Earplug Lawsuit News:

• 3M Combat Army Earplug Trial To Begin In Two Weeks | 3/17/2021
• Whistleblower Lawsuit Alerted The Military To Army Earplug Malfunction | 2/20/2021
• 3 Cases Selected For Army Hearing Loss Trial | 1/29/2021
• Military Veterans Tell the Stories of Their Hearing Loss Nightmare | 1/8/2021
• Military Veteran Hearing Loss Trials to Start in Spring 2021 | 12/26/2020
• Hundreds of Veterans Continue To Sign Up To Sue 3M For Defective Earplugs | 12/14/2020
• 3M's Greed Contributed To Thousands of Military Deaths and Injuries | 12/6/2020
• Taxpayers Foot The Bill For Army Earplugs That Turned Out To Be Defective | 11/21/2020
• Tinnitus Sufferers May Have Difficulties For The Remainder of Their Lives | 11/14/2020
• Aearo Inc. and 3M Took Shorcuts And Did Not Properly Redesign The Combat Army Earplugs | 11/3/2020
• US Military Alleges 3M Fraudulently Represented The Army Earplug | 10/27/2020
• Large Numbers of Soldiers Are Filing 3M Army Earplug Lawsuits Against 3M Inc. | 10/15/2020
• Soldiers Thought Their Hearing Protection Was Adequate | 9/28/2020
• Army Veterans Are Preparing For Court Over Hearing Loss | 9/24/2020
• Details Are Starting to Emerge About The 3M Army Earplug | 9/22/2020
• 3M Faces an Uphill Challenge in Defense of The Army Earplug | 9/18/2020
• 3M Faces an Uphill Challenge in Defense of The Army Earplug | 9/9/2020
• 200,000 Military Veterans Suing 3M For Defective Hearing Protection | 8/31/2020
• Thousands of Military Veterans Suing Over Hearing Loss | 8/26/2020
• Federal Judge Rules 3M Is Responsible For The Army Earplug Design | 7/28/2020
• Army Testing Points To The Need For Improving Hearing Protection Equipment | 7/14/2020
• Trials By Plaintiffs Alleging Hearing Damage From 3M Army Earplugs To Begin in the Spring of 2021 | 7/10/2020
• Army Veterans With Tinnitus Are Unable To Live Normal Lives | 6/29/2020
• Soldier's Lawsuits Bring Needed Attention To Developing Hearing Protection | 6/12/2020
• US Army Will Use 3D Printing To Create Individual Custom Fitting Ear Protection Devices | 6/3/2020
• Unsealed Court Documents Show 3M Made Nearly 1000% Profit Selling Combat Earplugs | 5/26/2020
• The US Army Is Training Soldiers to Protect Their Hearing | 5/7/2020
• Billions of Dollars Will Be Needed To Reimburse Taxpayers For Veterans Hearing Loss Disability Payments | 5/1/2020
• The US Military Prioritized Soldier's Hearing Protection Needs In Iraq and Afghanistan | 4/17/2020
• 3M Thinks Army Earplug Lawsuits Against Them May Be Thrown Out of Court Before They Begin | 4/6/2020
• Hearing Protection May Have Been Overlooked By Some During Combat Operations | 3/30/2020
• There Is Still Time To File An Army Earplug Hearing Loss Claim | 3/18/2020
• Naval Flight Deck Workers Also Experienced Hearing Damage Due To Defective 3M Earplugs | 3/11/2020
• Army Veterans With Hearing Damage Are Filing Lawsuits Against The Maker of Their Defective Earplugs | 3/5/2020
• Army Earplug Trials Against 3M Could Start Early Next Year | 2/18/2020
• Improvised Explosive Devices Caused More Serious Army Injuries Than Any Other Enemy Weapon | 2/6/2020
• Aereo Inc, maker of 3M Earplugs May Have Known The Combat Safety Device Would Not Work | 2/3/2020
• 3M Corporation Could Be Forced to Pay Veterans For Their Hearing Damage | 1/24/2020
• There Are Resources Available To Help Military Veterans Cope With Their Hearing Loss | 1/7/2020
• The False Claims Act Settlement Against 3M Proides Ammunition to Lawsuits Filed By Soldiers With Hearing Damage | 12/31/2019
• Faulty Combat Earplug Cost Taxpayers Billions | 12/24/2019
• Hearing Damage May Effect More Than 60 percent of Military | 12/20/2019
• Military Veterans Returning Home Tell Stories of Hearing Loss In Spite of Wearing Hearing Protection | 12/9/2019
• Hearing Loss Effects Servicemen From All Branches of The Military | 11/20/2019
• Lawsuits Pile Up Alleging 3M Earplug Negligence | 11/14/2019
• Service Members Claim 3M's Defective Combat Army Earplug Caused Permanent Hearing Damage | 11/11/2019
• Soldiers Can Fight For Compensation In Court For Their Hearing Loss | 10/31/2019
• Whistleblowers Can Save Taxpayers Money and Military Servicemember Lives | 10/15/2019
• New Army Earplug Lawsuit Accuses 3M of Fraud | 10/11/2019
• Military Veterans Are Suing 3M For Making Faulty Earplugs | 10/7/2019
• Military Personel Suffering From Tinnitus Have Found Ways To Alleviate Their Suffering | 9/26/2019
• Hearing Loss is Now Recognized For The Debilitating Service Injury It Is | 9/17/2019
• US Service Members Are Spreading The Word About The Faulty And Defective 3M Combat Army Earplug | 9/12/2019
• 3M Vows to Fight Lawsuits Alleging The Faulty Design of the 3M Combat Army Earplug | 8/28/2019
• Faulty 3M Earplugs Cost Thousands of Soldiers Their Hearing | 8/23/2019
• The Army's Hearing May Be Improving Soon | 8/13/2019
• CBS Interviewed Returning Servicemen As To The 3M Combat Army Earplug Experiences | 8/8/2019
• The Army's Tactical Communication and Protective System (TCPS) May Replace The Ineffective 3M Combat Army Earplug | 8/6/2019
• Soldiers Should Be Checked For Hearing Loss | 8/1/2019
• The 3M Combat Army Earplug Malfunctioned Causing Permanent Disability | 7/25/2019
• 3M Army Earplug Failure Can Cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | 7/18/2019
• Military Veterans May Be Unaware That They Have Hearing Loss | 7/11/2019
• Today’s Enclosed Gun Battles Can Increase Hearing Injuries | 7/8/2019
• 3M Army Earplug Lawsuits Are Moving Forward To Discovery in Multi-District Litigation | 6/27/2019
• Service Members Continue To File Army Earplug Lawsuits | 6/24/2019
• 3M Failed Soldiers By Selling Earplugs They Knew Were Defective To The Military | 6/20/2019
• Service Members Have Needlessly Lost Hearing Due to 3M's Fraud, Deceit, and Deception | 6/11/2019
• Hearing Loss Should Be Taken More Seriously | 6/4/2019
• Hearing Loss Has Many Serious Permanent Psychological Implications for Service Members | 5/28/2019
• Soldiers With Hearing Damage Are Blaming Their Earplugs | 5/22/2019
• Service Members Experience Hearing Loss From Defective Earplugs | 5/14/2019
• Army Servicemen Are Filing Hearing Loss Claims Against Earplug Maker 3M | 5/9/2019
• Hearing Loss From Defective Army Earplugs On The Frontlines and The Practice Range | 5/1/2019
• Hearing Loss Can Be A Deadly Battlefield Injury | 4/26/2019
• Servicemen Describe Hearing Loss Caused By The 3M Army Earplug | 4/22/2019
• The False Claims Act website helps whistleblower anonymously come forward easily and without fear of reprisals by their superiors | 4/15/2019
• Hundreds Of Army Earplug Lawsuits Consolidated in Federal Court | 4/9/2019
• Soldiers Are Filing Claims Against 3M Army Earplugs | 4/8/2019
• Army Veterans Have Suffered Hearing Loss From Defective Earplugs | 4/5/2019
• Whistleblower Reports Defective 3M Army Earplugs | 4/2/2019
• Service Member Suffer Tinnitus From Defective 3M Army Earplugs | 3/29/2019

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Lawsuits for Defective 3M Earplugs

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