Cleveland Defective Device Injury Lawyer
3M Allegedly Sold Defective Earplugs to the U.S. Military
3M’s Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs were standard issue for soldiers between 2003 and 2015.
Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs, now no longer in production, were given to thousands of men and women in the armed services, without knowing their defects – putting these proud service members at risk for permanent hearing loss, damage, or impairment.
3M’s Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs were designed to be used as either standard earplugs or they could be turned around to provide the user with normal hearing while at the same time, protecting the eardrums from gunfire or explosions.
The claims against 3M state that their device did not function as described, and were, in fact, not long enough to be properly inserted into a service member’s ears. Gradually, the earplugs will loosen and be completely useless to the user.
The 3M lawsuit also includes a complaint that 3M and Aearo Technologies, who was acquired by 3M in 2008, manipulated the test results of the earplugs to meet the U.S. government’s required product standards. These fraudulent activities and false claims resulted in damages that 3M has to pay to the U.S. government in this settlement. These damages include the monetary damages directly associated with the cost of the earplugs and also a substantial amount of ongoing medical expenses that are associated to helping veterans who suffer from hearing loss or tinnitus affected by these defective earplugs.
3M agreed to pay $9.1 million to the US Government to resolve these matters, though the company has admitted no wrongdoing and accepted no liability.