Military Veterans Returning Home Tell Stories of Hearing Loss In Spite of Wearing Hearing Protection

The 3M Dual-Sided Combat Army Earplug turned out not to be the one-size-fits-all hearing protection device that the company promised the military causing hearing damage to thousands of US service members

Monday, December 9, 2019 - Over 1000 US Army veterans have filed lawsuits against 3M Inc. alleging that the 3M Dual-Sided Combat Army Earplug malfunctioned causing their hearing loss and tinnitus. Hearing loss and tinnitus have been the leading causes of military disability filings since soldiers began returning from duty overseas in the Middle East and Afghanistan in 2003. Payments for military disability benefits due to hearing damage cost US taxpayers billions of dollars every year. 3M had sold the combat protective device to the military and made a fortune in profits, all the while knowing that the device was defective and would not work. 3M denies responsibility for misrepresenting their product to the military although they did pay a $9.1 million whistleblower lawsuit when an employee came forward and revealed what the company knew about the defective earplugs. The $9 million settlement was a mere pittance compared to the over $30 billion in annual revenue the company grosses, much of it from military contracts. A 3M spokesperson recently told weartv.com "We deny this product was defectively designed and caused injuries, and we will vigorously defend ourselves against such allegations." 3M Army Earplug attorneys handling recalled products have vast experience handling big corporations litigations with a winning track record and offer a free consultation.

Military veterans have the right to file a claim for the damages they have suffered like the loss of income from being unable to work, actual medical expenses, as well as to seek lump-sum punitive damages from being unable to enjoy a normal life post when they returned home to their families. Hearing loss is every bit as disabling as losing a limb or other service-related injuries, maybe more so some in some ways.

Channel 7 News Boston recently published an investigative report of one such military veteran who returned home from war suffering from tinnitus, a loud, constant, and maddening ringing in his ears. Tinnitus sufferers have difficulty participating in a normal conversation and need a noise distraction such as a fan or TV playing in the background to get to sleep. The report details the experience of army veteran Robert Manix whose job it was to protect his unit of soldiers riding in a turret ready to fire his 50 caliber machine gun. "You could feel it in your chest. Your whole body shakes." Channel 7 reports. Earplugs were standard issue military safety equipment like a helmet, flack jacket, and other protective devices and soldiers took it for granted that they were being issued the best equipment that money could buy. Manix told reporters that his superiors stressed how important it was to always wear their hearing protection device and if they did not, they would suffer hearing damage. Mannix's suffering post service touches every aspect of his life including being unable to communicate with his family.

More Recent 3M Earplug Lawsuit News:

• 3M May Settle Army Earplug Cases For Tens of Billions of Dollars | 4/6/2021
• 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
• 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

Let Our Army Earplug Attorneys Help You

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.

Lawsuits for Defective 3M Earplugs

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.