3M Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs Lawsuit Whitepaper
About 3M Earplugs Lawsuit
After many years of use, the earplugs are allegedly defective, causing hearing damage to those who use the product. In 2015, 3M discontinued the earplugs. However, the earplugs were not recalled.
3M Earplugs Associated Injuries
Injuries from the use of the 3M Dual-Ended Combat Earplugs include hearing loss/damage, specifically diagnosed as tinnitus. Symptoms include:
- Muffling of speech and other sounds
- Ringing sounds in the ears
- Difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd
- Trouble hearing consonants
- Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly
- Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio
- Difficulty sleep or concentrating
- Difficulty understanding speech over the phone
- Hypersensitivity to certain sounds (certain sounds are very bothersome or create pain)
3M Earplugs Status of Litigation
In April of 2019, the Judicial Panel on MDL transferred all 3M Combat Arms Earplug lawsuits to the United States District Court in the Northern District of Florida. 3M Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2885 (Master Docket No. 3:19md2885).
3M Earplugs Verdicts and Settlements
In July 2018, 3M agreed to pay $9.1M to resolve allegations that it supplied the United States with defective Combat Arms Earplugs.
Plaintiff verdicts include: $7.1M (April 2021 – 3 plaintiffs), $1.7M (June 2021), $8.2M (Oct 2021), $13M (Nov 2021).
3M Earplugs Manufacturer
3M and Aero Technologies Inc. created, designed, and manufactured the 3M Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs from 2003-2015.