Friday, December 20, 2019 - An alarming report by a leading military publication tells readers that the number of military veterans that have filed for disability income payments is staggering and has exploded since the tragedy at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, a time when, coincidently, the US Army began issuing the 3M Dual Sided Combat Army Earplug to soldiers that were going off to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military.com reports an article titled: "Post-9/11 Vets Have Far Higher Disability Ratings Than Prior Generations: Report" that lays out the numbers. Many of the injuries involve leg and arm amputations due to being hit with improvised explosive devices considered the weapon of choice by enemy combatants, in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that: "In August 2018, 4.7 million veterans, or 25 percent of the total, had a service-connected disability," the BLS said. Among all veterans with a service-connected disability, 29 percent reported a disability rating of less than 30 percent, while another 41 percent had a rating of 60 percent or higher, the BLS said," according to Military.com. Veterans of the Gulf War had twice the rate of disability as do all veterans combined. 3M Army Earplug attorneys have vast experience and a winning track record with medical litigation against big corporations and offer a free consultation.
Experts are studying the reasons for the catastrophic increase in the number of injured service personnel and speculate on a number of potential factors. The Institute for Veterans and Military Families claims that advances in battlefield medicine and rapid evacuations have saved many more lives that resulted in casualties in previous wars, but inflated the injured in battle numbers. Advances in screening soldiers for mental injuries and traumatic brain injuries and the resultant diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) account for a great number of military disability claims as well. Hearing damage, however, is the leading category of military injury where veterans receive military disability income benefits.
The Hearing Foundation has reported on statistics from the VA showing a staggering increase in hearing damage in spite of soldiers being issued earplugs that were purchased by the military from 3M Inc. "Tinnitus and hearing loss are the number one and two health conditions, respectively, among military veterans at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers. In 2017, there were 1.79 million disability compensation recipients for tinnitus and 1.16 million compensation recipients for hearing loss." The defective 3M Dual Sided Combat Army Earplug repeatedly malfunctioned during combat causing service members severe hearing impairment including tinnitus. The foundation also tells us that most veterans with tinnitus also suffer from depression and anxiety multiplying the effects of the disability far beyond not being able to return to work. Tinnitus is a maddening condition where the victims suffer from a constant ringing in the ears. Tinnitus destroys the victim's ability to enjoy life and raise a family due to not being able to engage in normal conversations nor get a satisfying night's sleep. Most tinnitus sufferers require to keep a fan or TV on at night to distract from the ringing.
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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.