Hearing impairment has been an ongoing issue among U.S. soldiers in combat 3M is facing many lawsuits due to their Dual-Ended Combat Arms earplugs being defective and allegedly caused tinnitus, hearing loss, and loss of balance in thousands of U.S. soldiers.
Originally, the ear plugs were designed to protect soldiers from suffering from hearing loss or damage during combat, specifically those that were in areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The ear plugs were designed to serve two functions. On one side, they could be used as traditional ear plugs or they could be flipped over to allow for some hearing, while also protecting the eardrums from loud noises such as gun fire or explosions.
One of the main claims being made about the defects of the plugs is that they were too short to fit in the ear properly. This may have caused some damaging noises to not be blocked out by the earplugs. While the product has been discontinued, 3M is failing to acknowledge the defects in their product that allegedly resulted in hearing complications.
Hearing impairment is a common issue among soldiers in combat, which is why many who used the 3M earplugs between 2003-2015 are issuing lawsuits. In return, 3M has recently faced over $9.1 million to settle the claims that are being made.
In cases like this when a nursing home or medical facility failed to meet standards of care, such as isolating infected patients and taking preventive precautions, individuals and their families often have the right to sue the facility. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) conducted research that concluded that stated that more than 933,000 Veterans received some type of compensation for the damage done. This overall amount was over 1.3 million dollars.
You may be entitled to some form of compensation if you:
- served between 2003-2015
- served in the Army, the Marine Corps, the National or Coast Guard, or the Airforce.
- been diagnosed with tinnitus
- have access to audiograms or proof or diagnosis.
Hearing damage and loss is an ongoing issue for those who served our country. If you or a loved one have served in the military between 2003-2015 and have suffered tinnitus, we would like to speak with you about your experience. We offer free consultations, so call us today.