US Veterans of Iraq War Suffer Hearing Damage from 3M Earplugs

Earplugs are just as essential as helmets and protective eyewear to a soldier in the US military. Loud noises such as automatic gunfire, explosions, and aircraft can be up to twice as loud as the level causing hearing loss. Sadly, a large number of military veterans who served in Iraq and other warzones have suffered from considerable hearing damage and from the faulty 3M earplugs they were provided.

3M Earplug Lawsuit

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the US military issued 3M’s Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs (CAEv2) to all soldiers in both training and combat. Wearing earplugs was compulsory, and they are now the focus of lawsuits against 3M.

Sergeant Scott Rowe served with the US Army in Iraq from 2003-2004 and now suffers from hearing loss and daily tinnitus after using 3M earplugs during his tour. His lawsuit provides evidence that the earplugs are not only defective, but also that 3M was aware of the faulty design since 2000 but continued producing them. As the name suggests, the earplugs are created with dual ends, one to completely block out all noise and the other to block only ambient noise. Evidence demonstrated that the stem between the two ends was too short and was therefore unable to provide an adequate seal to protect the wearer from hearing damage.

A little under a year after the original filing in April 2019, hundreds of pages worth of unsealed documents were added as evidence to the 3M suits. These pages show that employees of 3M intentionally did not release information about the defective product design. In addition, employees also made jokes with each other about the huge profit margins the company would get from selling their earplugs to the US Department of Defense.

How we can help you

If you or a loved one are a veteran of the US Military and experienced hearing damage or loss after wearing 3M Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs (CAEv2), you may be eligible for compensation.

You may qualify for the 3M earplug lawsuit if you:

  • Served in the U.S. military any time from 2003 – 2015
  • Used 3M’s Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs (CAEv2) during that time
  • Suffer from hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

The faulty 3M earplugs were given to soldiers in training and serving in Iraq as well as other combat zones including:

  • Afghanistan
  • Libya
  • Pakistan
  • Somalia
  • The Indian Ocean

The experienced legal team here at Kwartler Manus, LLC have extensive experience with mass tort lawsuits like those against 3M and can help you through this process. If you or someone you love suffered hearing damage as a member of the US military, contact us online or by phone at (267) 457-5570 today to learn how you can be compensated.

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