Why was 3M involved in an earplug lawsuit?
At times, companies make poor choices that affect the lives of millions of Americans. 3M completely disregarded the well-being of thousands of service men and women. These are individuals who are seeking to protect our freedoms and what they get in return are faulty 3M Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2. Faulty hearing protection landed 3M in the middle of a large earplug lawsuit.
Lawsuit Regarding 3M Faulty Earplugs
Service members who served in the US military between 2003 and 2015 may have been affected by the poor choices of 3M. This case surfaced because of a whistleblower and it was brought under the False Claims Act. This led 3M into an earplug lawsuit. The Justice Department has said, “the United States alleged that 3M… knew the CAEv2 was too short for proper insertion into users’ ears and that the earplugs could loosen imperceptibly and therefore did not perform well for certain individuals.” The United States went on to say that they had no idea that there was a defect before entering into a contract with 3M.
The biggest concern with this case is that 3M knowingly supplied thousands of service members with defective hearing protection. That is why 3M agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve the allegations faces in this earplug lawsuit.
Hearing loss has long been an issues with this country’s service members. 3M and their defective product has exacerbated an already existing issue within the armed forces dealing with hearing loss and tinnitus. The VA has said that tinnitus cases are around 1,610,911 and hearing loss 1,084,069 a year.
There are certain criteria that must be met before being financially compensated in this earplug lawsuit. A victim must have been in the armed forces within that 12 year period, suffered hearing loss and/or tinnitus, and was issued the 3M Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2. If you feel that you have been affected by the actions of 3M, contact Phipps, Deacon, Purnell, PLLC to discuss which steps should be taken next and whether you qualify.
Have you experienced hearing loss or tinnitus despite using 3M Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2?
Experiencing hearing loss or tinnitus after using 3M’s defective hearing protection may pave the way for you to receive financial compensation. Understanding the symptoms of noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus will allow you to know if you were affected by the faulty 3M Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2. Noise induced hearing loss occurs when loud noises cause damage to the ear. People may experience a loss of ranges in their hearing ability, sensitivity to sound, or a ringing in the ears. Using defective hearing protection, like those knowingly given by 3M, can cause noise induced hearing loss.
On the other hand, tinnitus is also damage to the ear, but its symptom is a constant ringing in the ear. Although, it can also be a roaring, hissing, or clicking sound that can be heard. The sounds may be in one or both ears. It can also be a low or high pitched sound. Damage resulting in tinnitus can come from the defective earplugs that were distributed by 3M.
If you received these earplugs and are currently facing once of the above symptoms, then you may be a prime candidate to join the earplug lawsuit against 3M. You should seek the advice and counsel of the law offices of Phipps, Deacon, Purnell, PLLC to help you make the best choices in compensating you for what you have lost.
How can Phipps, Deacon, Purnell, PLLC help you?
This experienced firm is located in San Antonio, but they are not limited to this area. They can assist you no matter where you are located in the United States. They can help you evaluate your case and if you can be eligible to receive compensation from the 3M earplug lawsuit.
It is important to take action against 3M in this matter. If you have found that you or a loved one has had hearing damaged because of their product, you should seek compensation. Seeking to get involved in this case does not affect VA benefits that veterans are entitled to because this case is against 3M and not the federal government.
They can help you determine whether or not you are eligible for compensation from 3M and join the earplug lawsuit. If you were located at any one of the following bases, you may have a claim:
- Fort Bliss
- Camp Bullis
- Fort Hood
- Randolph Air Force Base
- Fort Sam Houston
- Brooks City Base
- Lackland Air Force Base
- Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
We live in a country where things like this should not happen. On the rare occasion something does happen, there must be consequences for the accused and compensation for the victims. Many individuals were affected because of the knowingly defective earplugs. These earplugs were supposed to protect soft and loud noises by switching which side of the plug to use. However, it did not matter which way you would use the 3M Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 because they did not work the way they were supposed to. This lead to many individuals having damaged hearing that will last a lifetime. Contact the law offices of Phipps, Deacon, Purnell, PLLC now to to find out if you are eligible for financial compensation.