In July, 2018, the Department of Justice announced that 3M Company “agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly sold the dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2) to the U.S. military without disclosing defects that hampered the effectiveness of the hearing protection device.” Specifically, the U.S. had alleged that 3M and its predecessor, Aearo Technologies, Inc., knew that the CAEv2 was too short for proper insertion into users’ ears and that the earplugs could loosen imperceptibly and therefore did not perform well for certain individuals, putting service members at risk for hearing loss and tinnitus (i.e. ringing or other noise in the ears). The U.S. further alleged that 3M did not disclose this design defect to the military.
Borgess Law, LLC is now investigating cases of veterans nationwide who suffered partial or total hearing loss as a result of the Combat Arms Earplugs. If you, or a loved one were active in any branch of the military at any time from 2003 to 2015 and suffered hearing loss, you may have a potential claim against the ear plug manufacturer.
Borgess Law, LLC, has extensive experience with numerous national high-profile defective consumer product cases and will happy to discuss your legal options. For more information about the 3M Combat Arms lawsuits or to discuss a potential claim, contact Borgess Law at (567) 455-5955. You can also contact Borgess Law by submitting an online inquiry. Borgess Law never charges for initial consultations. We welcome any questions you may have.