May 24, 2022 — A federal jury in Pensacola, Florida has awarded $77.5 million to a U.S. Army veteran who blames defective 3M earplugs on his hearing damage.
The award is the largest verdict that a jury has awarded to a single plaintiff in the litigation.
The plaintiff, James B., is a veteran who claims that the earplugs failed to protect him from loud weapon noises during his military service between 2005 and 2009, and again as a reservist until 2011.
He was diagnosed with ringing in both ears (bilateral tinnitus) and noise-induced hearing loss.
Combat Arms Earplugs version 2 (CAEv2) were originally developed by Aearo Technologies, a company that was purchased by 3M.
There are now around 300,000 veterans who have filed lawsuits claiming they were permanently injured while wearing the earplugs, which can allegedly slip out of the ear canal and fail to protect against loud noise.
The lawsuits have been centralized in a federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in Florida, where 16 cases have gone before juries. Plaintiffs have won 10 out of 16 trials, for nearly $300 million in compensation.
The lawsuits are centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida — In re: 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation.
Do I have a 3M Earplug Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting 3M earplug induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know is a military service member who has been diagnosed with hearing loss or tinnitus from 3M earplugs, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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