Hundreds of veterans and military members across the country are currently suing 3M over allegations that the manufacturer provided them with defective earplugs. 
In 2018, 3M agreed to a settlement with the Justice Department, which claimed that the company defrauded the U.S. government by providing earplugs with “dangerous design defects” to military members for more than a decade.
Unfortunately, for veterans and military members, the settlement did not include 3M admitting liability for the allegedly defective products. Now, many service members and veterans are taking the company to court, believing they have suffered permanent hearing damage as a result of using the products.
“We were told these devices are gonna save our hearing and that’s what we did. We used them,” David Hendersen, who served in the military for six years, told CBS News earlier this year.
The lawsuits claim that 3M was aware that it was selling earplugs that had testing procedures and fitting instructions that were being manipulated. They also claim that the company knew about defects, and despite this, continued to sell the earplugs to the military from 2003 to 2013.
“It wasn’t an omission. It wasn’t something missed. It was deliberately lying to gain money and hurting our service members,” Hendersen said, according to CBS News. He now suffers from partial hearing loss and tinnitus, a high-pitch hissing sound that he hears even when it is quiet.
Do You Have Hearing Loss Due to Using 3M Earplugs?
If you have been diagnosed with hearing loss or complications, and believe it was due to the use of 3M earplugs, contact our Central Texas personal injury attorneys today. Many Central Texas veterans from the Killeen-area were unfortunately using these earplugs during service. Our lawyers can investigate your service history to determine if you were exposed to these allegedly defective products.
We will continue to monitor 3M earplug lawsuits and keep you up to date on any news. Continue to follow our blog. We are the personal injury law experts of Central Texas. Contact us today
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-veterans-claim-defective-3m-earplugs-caused-hearing-loss/
