Hearing Loss After Military Service? Defective 3M Earplugs May Be to Blame.
| March 4th, 2019
If you served in a combat role in the U.S. military between 2003 and 2015 and experienced hearing loss or hearing problems, it may be due to defective earplugs you were issued during your service. In 2018, the U.S. government alleged that 3M Company failed to disclose that its dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2, were defective and incapable of properly protecting users from combat-related sounds. 3M agreed to pay the U.S. government $9.1 million to resolve those allegations. However, the company is now facing hundreds of lawsuits from veterans who suffered hearing loss or hearing problems. The dual-ended earplugs featured a yellow-colored end and an olive-colored end. The yellow-colored end was designed to significantly reduce combat-related sounds, while still allowing users to hear commands spoken by friendly soldiers and the advancement of enemy troops. The olive-colored end was supposed to block all sounds like traditional earplugs. However, the earplugs were too short to be properly inserted into some user’s ears, causing them to loosen or fail to form a proper seal. 3M was aware of this defect as far back as 2000, but the company continued to supply them to the U.S. military, putting millions of veterans in danger of suffering severe ear and hearing-related damage. If you or someone you love suffered hearing loss, tinnitus, or other ear-related problems after serving in the U.S. military between 2003 and 2015, the California defective product attorneys at Berg Injury Lawyers want to speak with you. Contact us today for a free consultation.
