Defective 3M Military Earplugs
The 3M Company makes earplugs that it sold to the U.S. military from 2003 to 2015. The Combat Arms Ear Plugs made by 3M Company have put the manufacturer in deep legal trouble. Lawsuits, including a False Claims Act case handled by the Justice Department, have revealed that the 3M Company not only made and sold these faulty products to our military, but they also knew the products were ineffective and continued to sell them anyway.
Our military deserves to be protected. The government relies on honest, competent companies to supply our armed service members with the tools they need to get the job done and the protective devices they deserve to stay safe. Sadly, these companies sometimes don’t live up to their end of the bargain.
Bert Louthian is Accepting Cases to Hold the 3M Company Accountable
If you have suffered hearing loss due to these faulty earplugs, then you should know that you are entitled to compensation for the costs of your hearing loss, including the impact of related medical bills, income loss, pain and suffering you’ve experienced.
Bert Louthian has been helping clients get compensation in product liability cases throughout his entire professional career. If you want to learn more about your legal options, contact The Louthian Firm Accident & Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation.
3M Company’s Defective Combat Arms Ear Plugs
For several years, 3M Company sold the dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) to the U.S. military, even though they knew that these devices contained defects that limited their effectiveness.
3M Company settled a False Claims Act lawsuit with the government for more than $9 million, but now they must face lawsuits from injured earplug users who are living with the terrible consequences of the product’s defects. The reason these devices failed to protect users, according to the Justice Department, was that they were “too short for proper insertion into users’ ears.” The DOJ also said that the earplugs could loosen imperceptibly during use.
According to the ongoing lawsuits, users complain of…
- Hearing loss
- Perceiving high-pitch frequencies that are sometimes deafening
- Headaches
- Difficulty sleeping due to constant ringing, buzzing or whistling in the ears.
If you’ve experienced these symptoms after using the CAEv2, you can file a legal claim for compensation against the manufacturer of the device.
Understanding Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Many of the complaints being made by CAEv2 users center around significant hearing loss and a related symptom of hearing loss called tinnitus. Tinnitus is the perception of sound when there isn’t any. This misperception often takes the form of ringing, buzzing, whistling or hissing. People that suffer from severe hearing loss and tinnitus find this can be very disruptive in their lives.
Hearing loss is usually permanent, and it impedes a person’s ability to hear noises that signal danger. It can also affect a person’s ability to do their job or to get adequate sleep. While some people experiencing hearing loss might be aided by hearing devices, these remedies can be costly, and they go only so far in improving a person’s hearing.
Filing a Product Liability Claim Against 3M Company
While service members might feel hopeless in the face of significant hearing loss, they should know that there are legal options available. Product liability claims offer the users of defective products the opportunity to hold negligent manufacturers financially responsible for the costs of their injuries.
These claims can offer compensation for…
- Medical treatment
- Ongoing care and hearing devices
- Lost income (past and future)
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering.
When a company knowingly deceives consumers about the safety of a device, they should be held responsible for the damage their product has caused. In this case, the negligent company fraudulently sold safety devices to our service members. This is unacceptable, and 3M Company must be held accountable for their negligence.
Contact The Louthian Firm Accident & Injury Lawyers to Discuss Your Case
We have been assisting clients in South Carolina since 1959. We know how to deal with negligent manufacturers and get our clients the payment they deserve. We encourage you to contact our firm to learn more about our services and schedule a free consultation with our team.
If you or a loved one is experiencing hearing loss because of faulty earplugs, we’re here to help. The Louthian Firm Accident & Injury Lawyers respects our veterans, and we want to fight for our injured men and women. We’re based in Columbia, South Carolina, right next to Fort Jackson, which trains half of the Army’s Basic Combat Training load and 60 percent of the women entering the Army each year.
Give us a call or fill out our online contact form to contact our team and schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation. We want to learn more about you and how your injury has affected your life. You deserve justice.
