The United States military recently settled a $9.1 million lawsuit against 3M for selling them faulty earplugs for the troops.
If you used Combat Arms brand dual-ended earplugs between 2003 and 2015 while you were serving in the military, you may have been affected.
Through documents that came out at the trial, it was discovered that 3M employees knew about their defective earplugs as early as 2000, three years before they were sold to the military. Their negligence shouldn’t be tolerated.
If you’re a service member suffering from difficulty hearing, continue reading to see if you may be able to receive compensation.
How Do I Know if I Used These Earplugs?
3M military issued earplugs had one yellow side and one black. Each side was a different size. As they were marketed, this was supposed to be so that they could create a tighter fit and also protect against different amounts of noise.
It was later discovered that the design of this earplug made it highly likely that they would slip out of place, allowing dangerous levels of noise to reach your eardrums.
The movement often goes unnoticed and over time, many service members reported hearing loss and tinnitus, also known as ringing in the ears.
What Are the Symptoms of Hearing Loss?
Military service members are expected to begin filing lawsuits against the manufacturing giant for numerous symptoms after using 3M Combat Arms earplugs.
Any deafness, hearing loss, or ringing in your ears that you now experience after using the dual-sided earplugs means that you could have a case. This is true even if you are already being paid for hearing loss under your VA disability earnings.
Hearing loss symptoms are often slight. You may have trouble listening to others when you’re in crowded restaurants. You may also notice that sounds that were once crisp have become muffled.
How Hearing Loss Can Impact Your Life
You may not think that your hearing loss is that big of a deal, but it can have a huge impact on your quality of life. Participating in conversations becomes a much more difficult task. If you can’t understand everything that the other person is saying, you can’t engage with them in the same way.
You may also find yourself getting embarrassed when you’re not able to hear things. When you have to ask someone to repeat themselves often, you may get frustrated.
Who to Contact for Help
Although the government claimed their piece of the pie in a large lawsuit, you still have to seek your own counsel if you want to sue 3M for your personal hearing loss.
Since the case has already been proven, and the facts are public knowledge, we believe representing veterans in these cases is a worthwhile effort. If you think you may have a claim, contact us today, our personal injury attorneys would be honored to represent you and thank you for your service.
Costa Ivone, LLC
311 N Aberdeen St #100B, Chicago, IL 60607
(708) 400-0000
One Response
A friend of mine who deployed experienced something similar with the ear plugs that were given to them. Their sense of hearing has been slightly impaired so I encouraged them to take action; this was quite helpful in that regard!