Each plaintiff will need to prove that Combat Arms earplugs caused their hearing problems. The plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $50,000, but Bloomberg reports that 3M’s liability is unclear in this case. The plaintiffs allege that 3M knew that the earplugs “needed to be inserted in a particular manner in order to have any effectiveness.” The plaintiffs claim that 3M failed to notify purchasers of the dangers posed by failing to properly insert their combat arms earplugs. Due to 3M’s failure to warn, the plaintiffs developed hearing loss and tinnitus or ringing in the ears, according to the lawsuit. The key allegation against 3M is that it failed to warn military personnel about the dangers posed by improperly inserting Combat Arms earplugs. Furthermore, a draft of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 written by the House Armed Services Committee stated that “combat earplugs have had significant issues related to performance and quality control in the past that likely resulted in hearing loss to military personnel.” This language was not included in the final version. The government claimed that 3M knowingly sold its earplugs to the military without disclosing the defects hampering the earplugs’ protection. In 2018, 3M paid $9.1 million to settle a dispute with the federal government over the first version of Combat Arms earplugs.
However, this isn’t the first time 3M has been accused of manufacturing defective earplugs. 3M denies that its combat arms earplugs are defective or cause injuries. The plaintiffs say that 3M’s earplugs are too short for some people and failed to properly seal at times. Each plaintiff denies having received instructions for the proper insertion of 3M combat arms earplugs and each claims to suffer from some form of hearing loss or tinnitus. On June 9, nine plaintiffs - two police officers, two civilian contractors, a firefighter, aircraft technician, truck driver, mechanical instructor, and canine handler - filed a joint product liability action against 3M. These risks make the proper function of combat arms earplugs even more important. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that hearing loss itself can lead to significant health risks including atrophy of the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), continual exposure to loud noises can cause stress, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, heart disease, and other health problems. One end is meant to block all sound while the other is intended to muffle loud noises while allowing the user to hear commands.Įarplugs are an essential form of protection for military personnel. The earplugs are dual-ended, meaning they can be used to block out different levels of noise. What Are Combat Arms Earplugs Used For?Īccording to Bloomberg Government, 3M Combat Arms earplugs are used by the military to protect soldiers’ hearing during training and combat.
The complaint was filed in Minnesota’s District Court for the Fourth Judicial District in Hennepin County. The suit claims the company failed to warn about the importance of properly inserting the earplugs, and as a result, the plaintiffs claim they developed hearing loss and tinnitus. A lawsuit has been filed against 3M Company over hearing damage allegedly incurred by military personnel and civilians due to 3 M’s Combat Arms earplugs.
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