Current:Home > Back3M to pay $253 million to veterans in lawsuit settlement over earplugs and hearing loss-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
3M to pay $253 million to veterans in lawsuit settlement over earplugs and hearing loss
View Date:2024-12-23 15:20:34
More than 30,000 active service members and veterans will receive $253 million from 3M in a settlement after a lawsuit alleged that combat earplugs from the conglomerate led to hearing loss, tinnitus and other hearing-related injuries.
The 3M Combat Arms Earplugs are at the center of the larger, $6 billion lawsuit, where more than 250,000 veterans and active service members said the earplugs caused hearing loss.
They were manufactured by 3M subsidiary Aero Technologies and sold to the U.S. military from 1999-2015. 3M acquired Aearo in 2008, and said the earplugs were safe when used properly, according to the Star Tribune.
3M said Monday it will be sending the payment to active service members and veterans by the end of January. In a statement, the conglomerate said since the settlement agreement was announced in August, "it has received strong and widespread support from claimants and the broader military community."
3M previously said it will contribute the money between 2023 and 2029, with $5 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M common stock.
"We are pleased with 3M's decision to move up this payment and appreciate its commitment to the resolution of these claims," Bryan Aylstock, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said to the Star Tribune Tuesday. "So far, support for the settlement has been overwhelming and we expect to meet and indeed exceed the 98% participation threshold provided for in the settlement agreement in the coming weeks."
The earplugs at the center of the $6 lawsuit
In the complaint, the plaintiffs alleged that the Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs, CAEv.2, manufactured between 2003 and 2015 by Aearo LLC, would become loose, exposing plaintiffs to loud and harmful sounds.
Some people who used the ear plugs worked civilian industrial professions or used them while hunting or firing weapons at the shooting range. Others used them while in military service for firearms training, vehicle maintenance and use, working in noise-hazardous conditions, domestically or abroad.
Multiple people suffered hearing loss, tinnitus, and other hearing-related injuries.
Hearing devices must undergo testing and abide by guidelines put forth by the American National Standards Institute, which requires a Noise Reduction Rating label that states the effectiveness of the device. According to the complaint, higher numbers are associated with better hearing protection, but the defendants allegedly used their own laboratory for testing and used "inappropriate testing procedures that substantially skew the results of the NRR labeling tests."
The ear plug NRR was allegedly manipulated to 22 when testing showed that rating on each subject was 10.9.
Aearo, 3M's subsidiary, attempted to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy but it was dismissed by a judge in June, who determined the company was "financially healthy."
Contributing: Amritpal Kaur Sandhu-Longoria, USA TODAY.
veryGood! (953)
Related
- Federal judge blocks Louisiana law that requires classrooms to display Ten Commandments
- Helene's brutal toll: At least 100 dead; states struggling to recover. Live updates
- Fed Chair Powell says the US economy is in ‘solid shape’ with more rate cuts coming
- Channing Tatum Admits He's Freaking Out Over Daughter Everly's Latest Milestone
- Mike Tomlin's widely questioned QB switch to Russell Wilson has quieted Steelers' critics
- Here’s how Helene and other storms dumped a whopping 40 trillion gallons of rain on the South
- National Taco Day deals 2024: $1 tacos at Taco Bell, freebies at Taco John's, more
- Oregon DMV waited weeks to tell elections officials about voter registration error
- Beyoncé has released lots of new products. Here's a Beyhive gift guide for the holidays
- When is 'Love is Blind' Season 7? Premiere date, time, cast, full episode schedule, how to watch
Ranking
- Minnesota county to pay $3.4M to end lawsuit over detainee’s death
- Jeep urges 194,000 plug-in hybrid SUV owners to stop charging and park outdoors due to fire risk
- Braves host Mets in doubleheader to determine last two NL playoff teams
- Colorado family sues after man dies from infection in jail in his 'blood and vomit'
- Wildfires burn from coast-to-coast; red flag warnings issued for Northeast
- How one preschool uses PAW Patrol to teach democracy
- 'THANK YOU SO MUCH': How social media is helping locate the missing after Helene
- When is 'Love is Blind' Season 7? Premiere date, time, cast, full episode schedule, how to watch
Recommendation
-
Why California takes weeks to count votes, while states like Florida are faster
-
Shawn Mendes Shares Update on Camila Cabello Relationship After Brutal Public Split
-
After CalMatters investigation, Newsom signs law to shed light on maternity ward closures
-
The US is sending a few thousand more troops to the Middle East to boost security
-
Justice Department says jail conditions in Georgia’s Fulton County violate detainee rights
-
Man is sentenced to 35 years for shooting 2 Jewish men as they left Los Angeles synagogues
-
Ariana Grande Claps Back at the Discourse Around Her Voice, Cites Difference for Male Actors
-
2 ex-officers did not testify at their trial in Tyre Nichols’ death. 1 still could