Veteran and current service members and others have so far filed more than 250,000 claims and lawsuits against 3M contending that the earplug’s design was defective and led to hearing loss and ...August 2023 Update: A 3M earplug lawsuit settlement was reached on August 28, 2023, providing roughly $6 billion in funds to resolve allegations raised in more than 250,000 lawsuits filed by U.S ... August 2023 Update: A 3M earplug lawsuit settlement was reached on August 28, 2023, providing roughly $6 billion in funds to resolve allegations raised in more than 250,000 lawsuits filed by U.S ...3M has won five trials. (Reuters) - 3M Co has asked a federal judge to require tens of thousands of plaintiffs who have claimed that the company's military-issue earplugs damaged their hearing as ...June 26, 2022 9:30 am ET. Listen. (2 min) A lawyer for 3M says the earplugs were ‘designed based on our collaboration with the military,’ which is now using newer versions of the product ...Aug 30, 2023 · New York CNN — 3M has agreed to pay $6 billion to resolve roughly 300,000 lawsuits alleging that the manufacturing company supplied faulty combat earplugs to the military that resulted in... March 27, 2022 Update: In a historical weekend in the 3M earplug litigation, the Wilkerson jury came back yesterday with an $8 million verdict. 3M was counting on winning Wilkerson to keep afloat the idea that “they win some, we win some” and only the best 3M earplug lawsuits have real value. Aug 31, 2023 · 3M Earplug Lawsuit Updates As of August 2023, over 300,000 cases had been filed towards the 3M lawsuit. Judge M. Casey Rodgers, who oversaw the lawsuit, had reported that the increasing amounts of nonviable cases being created was an obstacle to reaching the settlement. The U.S. District Judge presiding over all 3M earplug hearing loss lawsuits has scheduled a “Data Day” for February 23, at which time a neutral third party will publicly present an analysis of ...3M Earplugs Lawsuit Updates (2023) On January 7, 2023, 3M reported spending $450 million in attorney’s fees for their lawsuit defense. So, this type of claim has far-reaching consequences for 3M. While reports on January 6, 2023, stated that the lawsuit was in limbo, the new claims brought forward kept emerging – 12 on January 6th and 30 ...Aug 29, 2023 · FILE - The logo for 3M appears on a screen above the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Oct. 24, 2017. 3M, on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, has agreed to pay $6 billion to settle numerous ... As of October 2022, over 250,000 lawsuits have been filed against 3M by U.S. military veterans, current service members, and others, alleging that the design of 3M Combat Arms earplugs was defective. The plaintiffs claim they suffered hearing loss and tinnitus caused by defective earplug use. Related Article: 3M Earplug Lawsuits Info.According to Bloomberg, 3M’s stock valuation relative to its competitors implies a discount of about $33 billion due to its earplug lawsuits – 3M shares are worth 19% less than they were in July 2018. After the most recent $110 million settlement, 3M stock prices fell 4% in the days following.That company is 3M, the St. Paul, Minnesota-based technology and manufacturing giant that supplied a version of Combat Arms earplugs to the U.S. military from 2008 to 2015. Sigmon, 37, has been ...Apr 30, 2021 · April 30 (Reuters) - 3M Co (MMM.N) was found liable on Friday for hearing damage suffered by three U.S. military veterans who accused the company of covering up design defects in its earplugs, a ... Sep 2, 2023 · 3M Earplug Lawsuit Update | Get the Right Lawyer. The 3M Company has been ordered to pay nearly $10 million over claims it knowingly sold the U.S. Federal Government defective military earplugs which could cause hearing loss, hearing damage, tinnitus, and other ear problems. Published by Collen Clark. Last Updated: September 2, 2023. After a whistleblower suit was filed in 2016, accusing 3M of selling “dangerously defective” earplugs, the company agreed to pay $9.1 million to the Department of Justice to resolve the ...Roughly 260,000 lawsuits have been filed over the earplugs. 3M has agreed to pay $6 billion to settle about 260,000 lawsuits claiming that earplugs that US troops were issued between 2003 and 2015 ...Aug 26, 2022 · 3M must face more than 230,000 lawsuits accusing it of selling defective earplugs to the U.S. military, after a U.S. judge on Friday ruled that the bankruptcy of a subsidiary did not stop lawsuits ... Plaintiff lawyers claim Combat Arms 2 earplugs distributed to service members from 2008 to 2015 were defective due to poor design and because 3M failed to provide adequate instructions. 3M says ...August 2023 Update: A 3M earplug lawsuit settlement was reached on August 28, 2023, providing roughly $6 billion in funds to resolve allegations raised in more than 250,000 lawsuits filed by U.S ...Jul 7, 2022 · June 5, 2022 - A federal jury in FL ruled 3M has to pay $77.5 million to James Beal, an army veteran whose lawsuit alleged the 3M’s faulty earplugs caused hearing loss and ringing in his ears. June 1, 2022 - Around 290,000 U.S. soldiers are suing 3M over defective earplugs. ___________. Unfortunately, that is what happened to thousands of ... In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced that 3M had agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle a whistleblower suit accusing 3M of knowingly selling defective earplugs to the U.S. military. The settlement was driven by allegations that 3M, and its predecessor Aearo Technologies Inc., sold the CAEv2 Earplugs to the Defense Logistics Agency ...A committee representing hundreds of thousands of veterans pursuing earplug hearing loss lawsuits is urging a federal bankruptcy court to dismiss a filing last year by 3M Company’s Aearo ...In 2018, 3M settled this lawsuit with the Department of Justice for $9.1 million, but did not admit any fault or liability in the damage done to service members hearing. Now, the service members who have suffered hearing loss during their time in the U.S. military have filed thousands of 3M lawsuits to attempt to collect damages from 3M for its ...Oct 11, 2022 · The litigation, which started back in 2018, after a whistle-blower filed a lawsuit against 3M (MMM) revealing allegations that 3M (MMM) and its subsidiary, Aearo Technologies, had knowingly sold defective dual-ended Combat Arms earplugs to the United States Military. This case resulted in a $9.1m (£8.2m) settlement with the Department of ... The first 3M earplug cases recently went to trial, and depending on how these early “bellwether” lawsuits go, 3M may face increasing pressure to reach a quicker settlement with thousands of veterans and military service members who claim the company’s defective ear plugs caused their hearing loss. With lawsuits moving to trial, affected ...Dec 27, 2022 · January 2023 3M Earplug Lawsuit Update. While any appeal of this ruling is pursued, Judge Rodgers has previously ordered the parties to continue engaging in 3M earplug settlement talks, requiring ... 3M Earplug Lawsuit Updates – May 2023 The St. Paul-based manufacturer and merchant of these yellow and dark green earplugs, 3M , has a product named Combat Arms Earplug Version 2 or CAEv2. They were established by a company acquired by 3M in 2008 called, Aearo Technologies. Joint agenda to be posted on 3M MDL website; Court's expectations regarding individual counsel for bellwether plaintiffs; Choice of Law Committee and chart; Depositions of Government witnesses live calendar; Document stipulations to narrow scope of case-specific bellwether depositions; Other discovery matters. August 27, 2020: Pretrial Order No. 52Jul 26, 2022 · Earplug manufacturer 3M announced Tuesday, July 26, 2022, that the company has set aside more than $1 billion to resolve the more than 290,000 pending cases from veterans who claim the company’s ... Facing thousands of lawsuits from U.S. service members who said 3M earplugs failed to protect their hearing, the manufacturing giant announced it is committing $1 billion to a trust to resolve the ...Dec 27, 2022 · January 2023 3M Earplug Lawsuit Update. While any appeal of this ruling is pursued, Judge Rodgers has previously ordered the parties to continue engaging in 3M earplug settlement talks, requiring ... Jul 27, 2022 · A 3M Co subsidiary on Wednesday criticized the way federal courts have handled 290,000 consolidated lawsuits over allegedly defective earplugs it made for the U.S. military, saying that the ... Jan 6, 2023 · 3:02. 3M Co. has racked up more than $450 million in defense costs as it struggles to fend off allegations defective earplugs it sold to the US military harmed soldiers’ hearing, court filings ... Aug 30, 2023 · The 3M earplugs lawsuit has been settled by the manufacturing company after agreeing to pay the $6 billion settlement. The Minnesota-based chemical and consumer product manufacturer has been accused of selling faulty earplugs to U.S. service members. However, despite paying billions of dollars, 3M still denied that its earplugs have faulty designs. 3M Co. has tentatively agreed to pay more than $5.5 billion to resolve over 300,000 lawsuits claiming it sold the US military defective combat earplugs, people familiar with the deal said.Aug 29, 2023 · 3M, the chemical and manufacturing giant, said on Tuesday that it had reached a $6 billion settlement over claims that it sold defective combat earplugs to the U.S. military. June 26, 2022 9:30 am ET. Listen. (2 min) A lawyer for 3M says the earplugs were ‘designed based on our collaboration with the military,’ which is now using newer versions of the product ...After a whistleblower suit was filed in 2016, accusing 3M of selling “dangerously defective” earplugs, the company agreed to pay $9.1 million to the Department of Justice to resolve the ...In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced that 3M had agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle a whistleblower suit accusing 3M of knowingly selling defective earplugs to the U.S. military. The settlement was driven by allegations that 3M, and its predecessor Aearo Technologies Inc., sold the CAEv2 Earplugs to the Defense Logistics Agency ... October 14, 2022 Update: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit has agreed to an expedited review of 3M’s appeal of the bankruptcy court decision that effectively blocked 3M from pulling the 230,000 earplug lawsuits into bankruptcy.Moldec-Metric is also a rival in the earplug market. According to the lawsuit, the U.S. military had a contract for these earplugs from 2003 to 2015. The charges were issued in 2018. During that time, 3M agreed to pay $9.1 million to the U.S. government. But the condition put by 3M was that the cause of these defects was because the earplugs ...Facing thousands of lawsuits from U.S. service members who said 3M earplugs failed to protect their hearing, the manufacturing giant announced it is committing $1 billion to a trust to resolve the ...2023-06-30 - The Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2) was manufactured by Aearo Technologies, Inc. prior to being taken over by 3M in 2008. The dual-ended 3M CAEv2 combat earplugs served as a standard form of military hearing protection in foreign conflicts for more than a decade, from 2002 to 2016. The 3M military earplugs are made of green and yellow with a double-ended design.For the latest updates on the 3M litigation, check out: 3M Combat Earplugs Lawsuits: History and Developments. Earplug Defect Cases Can Be Complicated Most 3M earplug lawsuits rely on the legal concept of product liability , in which a plaintiff seeks to hold a manufacturer responsible for health problems caused by an unreasonably dangerous or ...Apr 30, 2021 · April 30 (Reuters) - 3M Co (MMM.N) was found liable on Friday for hearing damage suffered by three U.S. military veterans who accused the company of covering up design defects in its earplugs, a ... After a whistleblower suit was filed in 2016, accusing 3M of selling “dangerously defective” earplugs, the company agreed to pay $9.1 million to the Department of Justice to resolve the ...January 2023 3M Earplug Lawsuit Update. While any appeal of this ruling is pursued, Judge Rodgers has previously ordered the parties to continue engaging in 3M earplug settlement talks, requiring ...August 2023 Update: A 3M earplug lawsuit settlement was reached on August 28, 2023, providing roughly $6 billion in funds to resolve allegations raised in more than 250,000 lawsuits filed by U.S ...Aug 28, 2023 · Aug 28 (Reuters) - 3M (MMM.N) on Monday agreed to pay $6.01 billion to settle nearly 260,000 lawsuits by current and former U.S. military service members who say they suffered hearing loss from... Mar 1, 2023 · ST. PAUL, Minn., March 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Department of Defense records for more than 175,000 plaintiffs show that the vast majority of claimants in Combat Arms earplug litigation have normal hearing under medically accepted standards. The first 3M earplug cases recently went to trial, and depending on how these early “bellwether” lawsuits go, 3M may face increasing pressure to reach a quicker settlement with thousands of veterans and military service members who claim the company’s defective ear plugs caused their hearing loss. With lawsuits moving to trial, affected ...December 21, 2021: The 9th bellwether trial in the 3M earplug lawsuit concluded with a defense verdict last week. The jury determined that Carlos Montero did not prove that 3M’s earplugs were to blame for his hearing loss and gave a verdict in favor of the defense. This victory for 3M in the earplugs lawsuits is only a week after 3Ms most ... April 30 (Reuters) - 3M Co (MMM.N) was found liable on Friday for hearing damage suffered by three U.S. military veterans who accused the company of covering up design defects in its earplugs, a ...June 26, 2022 9:30 am ET. Listen. (2 min) A lawyer for 3M says the earplugs were ‘designed based on our collaboration with the military,’ which is now using newer versions of the product ...Of 16 earplug cases that have gone to trial, 3M has lost 10, with about $265 million being awarded in total to 13 plaintiffs. Those verdicts are included in the $6.01 billion amount.Feb 3, 2023 · 3M Earplugs Lawsuit Updates (2023) On January 7, 2023, 3M reported spending $450 million in attorney’s fees for their lawsuit defense. So, this type of claim has far-reaching consequences for 3M. While reports on January 6, 2023, stated that the lawsuit was in limbo, the new claims brought forward kept emerging – 12 on January 6th and 30 ... A 2016 whistleblower lawsuit against 3M company exposed this negligence for the first time. They were accused of knowingly selling defective earplugs that damaged the hearing of thousands of soldiers. 3M tried to quickly (and quietly) settle without admitting liability by paying $9.1 million to the US Department of Justice.May 12, 2022 · June 2022 Update. A Florida federal jury awarded $77.5M to James Beal, a U.S. Military Veteran, who alleged the faulty 3M earplugs caused permanent hearing loss. Beal, who was diagnosed with bilateral tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss, was awarded $72.5M in punitive damages and $5M in compensatory damages. Affected Parties. The 3M earplug lawsuit primarily involves veterans, service members, and military service members who have suffered hearing damage due to the alleged defects in the earplugs provided by 3M. These earplugs were widely used by U.S. service members during their military service, including combat deployments.May 1, 2023 · 3M Co. parried questions Monday from judges on an Eleventh Circuit panel who seemed open to affirming four veterans’ hearing-loss verdicts and a crucial, underlying lower-court ruling denying immunity for defects in the company’s combat earplugs. The case could knock out all of the suits in the potentially billion-dollar litigation if 3M ... April 30 (Reuters) - 3M Co (MMM.N) was found liable on Friday for hearing damage suffered by three U.S. military veterans who accused the company of covering up design defects in its earplugs, a ...According to his lawsuit, Vilsmeyer brought fifteen claims against 3M from injuries he alleges were caused by his use of the Combat Arms Earplug version 2 (“CAEv2”), and his wife filed for ...Sep 21, 2021 · Veteran and current service members and others have so far filed more than 250,000 claims and lawsuits against 3M contending that the earplug’s design was defective and led to hearing loss and ... According to his lawsuit, Vilsmeyer brought fifteen claims against 3M from injuries he alleges were caused by his use of the Combat Arms Earplug version 2 (“CAEv2”), and his wife filed for ...Jan 3, 2023 · January 2023 update. A recent lawsuit filed by plaintiff Anthony F. Ascanio (Ascanio v. 3M Company et al.) has provided a clearer picture of the manufacturer’s serious responsibilities in damaging the soldiers’ hearing. According to the accusations, Aearo lied on the earplugs’ ability to protect against sudden sounds and conduced sham ... 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies LLC filed for bankruptcy protection in Indiana on July 26, seeking to resolve lawsuits alleging that 3M's Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2) caused hearing ...Jul 7, 2022 · June 5, 2022 - A federal jury in FL ruled 3M has to pay $77.5 million to James Beal, an army veteran whose lawsuit alleged the 3M’s faulty earplugs caused hearing loss and ringing in his ears. June 1, 2022 - Around 290,000 U.S. soldiers are suing 3M over defective earplugs. ___________. Unfortunately, that is what happened to thousands of ... Apr 7, 2022 · 3M owes $58 million to two veterans in latest combat earplug trials. 3M on appeal says first trial in massive earplug litigation went 'off the rails' 3M hit with $110 million verdict in latest U.S ... 3M Earplugs Lawsuit Updates (2023) On January 7, 2023, 3M reported spending $450 million in attorney’s fees for their lawsuit defense. So, this type of claim has far-reaching consequences for 3M. While reports on January 6, 2023, stated that the lawsuit was in limbo, the new claims brought forward kept emerging – 12 on January 6th and 30 ...In 2018, 3M settled this lawsuit with the Department of Justice for $9.1 million, but did not admit any fault or liability in the damage done to service members hearing. Now, the service members who have suffered hearing loss during their time in the U.S. military have filed thousands of 3M lawsuits to attempt to collect damages from 3M for its ...October 2022 3M Earplug Settlement Update. ... With the average 3M earplug lawsuit payout per person likely to range widely depending on the extent and duration of each veteran’s hearing loss ...December 21, 2021: The 9th bellwether trial in the 3M earplug lawsuit concluded with a defense verdict last week. The jury determined that Carlos Montero did not prove that 3M’s earplugs were to blame for his hearing loss and gave a verdict in favor of the defense. This victory for 3M in the earplugs lawsuits is only a week after 3Ms most ...3M Earplug Lawsuit Updates As of August 2023, over 300,000 cases had been filed towards the 3M lawsuit. Judge M. Casey Rodgers, who oversaw the lawsuit, had reported that the increasing amounts of nonviable cases being created was an obstacle to reaching the settlement.The compensation you will receive if you struggle with a form of hearing impairment as a consequence of using the defective 3M Combat Arms earplugs highly depends on the severity of your diagnosis. In 2018, 3M agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit During a 2016 whistleblower lawsuit against 3M, documents revealed 3M knew about the design flaws of the product. In the 2016 suit, 3M settled with the government and paid $9.1 million without ...Aug 27, 2023 · Key Background. 3M competitor Moldex-Metric, Inc. in 2016 filed a whistleblower lawsuit against 3M claiming the company knew the CAEv2 earplugs it sold to the government between 2003 and 2015 did ... Roughly 260,000 lawsuits have been filed over the earplugs. 3M has agreed to pay $6 billion to settle about 260,000 lawsuits claiming that earplugs that US troops were issued between 2003 and 2015 ...Lead counsel Douglas Monsour won the largest verdict to date against 3M and their earplugs used by the United States military. LONGVIEW, Texas, Dec. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A federal jury in ...Fast Five: 3M’s $6B earplug settlement, Myomo closes $4.4M public offering LivaNova wins FDA clearance, CE mark for Essenz in-line blood monitor Philips prices $546.2M offering to repay existing ...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 same ear plugs at the center of the current ... Aug 28, 2023 · After the announcement in July 2018 that 3M paid the DOJ $9.2 to settle the qui tam lawsuits alleging that it sold defective earplugs to Army, thousands of veterans who had been living with hearing damage began filing product liability lawsuits against 3M. The lawsuits alleged that these veterans suffered hearing damage because of the defective ... Oct 13, 2022 · 3M Co. (NYSE: MMM) will get another chance to shield itself against hundreds of thousands of liability lawsuits over its military-issue earplugs, as a federal appeals court agreed to hear the ... Sep 27, 2022 · October 2022 3M Earplug Settlement Update. ... With the average 3M earplug lawsuit payout per person likely to range widely depending on the extent and duration of each veteran’s hearing loss ... According to his lawsuit, Vilsmeyer brought fifteen claims against 3M from injuries he alleges were caused by his use of the Combat Arms Earplug version 2 (“CAEv2”), and his wife filed for ...3M Co on Friday urged a U.S. appeals court to bring to an end lawsuits by service members who say combat earplugs it sold were defective and caused their hearing damage, because the military was ...In a startling settlement in July 2018, the 3M corporation agreed to pay $9.1 million in a False Claims Act lawsuit to settle allegations that it knowingly supplied the United States military with defective earplugs. The lawsuit brought on behalf of the government alleged that the company covered up the fact that the dual-ended earplugs could slightly loosen, allowing hearing damage to occur ...
May 12, 2022 · June 2022 Update. A Florida federal jury awarded $77.5M to James Beal, a U.S. Military Veteran, who alleged the faulty 3M earplugs caused permanent hearing loss. Beal, who was diagnosed with bilateral tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss, was awarded $72.5M in punitive damages and $5M in compensatory damages. . Repo mobile home for sale in asheboro nc
May 3, 2023 · Older Updates. August 27, 2022: Filing bankruptcy protection for its subsidiary does not excuse 3M from defending lawsuits in the 3M earplug class action, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled yesterday. This means the 3M earplug trials for 2023 are back on track. March 15, 2022: The Wilkerson bellwether trial is underway. Aug 29, 2023 · Minnesota veterans blame 3M’s ‘defective’ ear plugs for hearing damage. 3M to pay $2.2M in latest ‘defective’ earplugs lawsuit. Mediation ordered to begin in 3M lawsuit. Mar 1, 2023 · ST. PAUL, Minn., March 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Department of Defense records for more than 175,000 plaintiffs show that the vast majority of claimants in Combat Arms earplug litigation have normal hearing under medically accepted standards. Aearo, which made the combat arms earplugs, filed for bankruptcy last July, with 3M pledging $1 billion to fund Aearo's liabilities stemming from the lawsuits that accuse both Aearo and 3M of ...Nicholas Pfosi/Reuters. By Amanda Holpuch. Jan. 28, 2022. A federal jury on Thursday awarded $110 million to two U.S. Army veterans who said they had hearing damage because of combat earplugs ...Aug 10, 2022 · Aearo filed for bankruptcy on July 26 and said it had committed $1 billion to resolve the earplug litigation. In a motion filed last Thursday, veteran Guy Cupit argued that 3M, which has not ... Apr 7, 2022 · 3M owes $58 million to two veterans in latest combat earplug trials. 3M on appeal says first trial in massive earplug litigation went 'off the rails' 3M hit with $110 million verdict in latest U.S ... Affected Parties. The 3M earplug lawsuit primarily involves veterans, service members, and military service members who have suffered hearing damage due to the alleged defects in the earplugs provided by 3M. These earplugs were widely used by U.S. service members during their military service, including combat deployments.Aug 27, 2023 · Key Background. 3M competitor Moldex-Metric, Inc. in 2016 filed a whistleblower lawsuit against 3M claiming the company knew the CAEv2 earplugs it sold to the government between 2003 and 2015 did ... A committee representing hundreds of thousands of veterans pursuing earplug hearing loss lawsuits is urging a federal bankruptcy court to dismiss a filing last year by 3M Company’s Aearo ...3M Co. parried questions Monday from judges on an Eleventh Circuit panel who seemed open to affirming four veterans’ hearing-loss verdicts and a crucial, underlying lower-court ruling denying immunity for defects in the company’s combat earplugs. The case could knock out all of the suits in the potentially billion-dollar litigation if 3M ...Aug 29, 2023 · Roughly 260,000 lawsuits have been filed over the earplugs. 3M has agreed to pay $6 billion to settle about 260,000 lawsuits claiming that earplugs that US troops were issued between 2003 and 2015 ... 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies LLC filed for bankruptcy protection in Indiana on July 26, seeking to resolve lawsuits alleging that 3M's Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2) caused hearing ...May 3, 2023 · Older Updates. August 27, 2022: Filing bankruptcy protection for its subsidiary does not excuse 3M from defending lawsuits in the 3M earplug class action, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled yesterday. This means the 3M earplug trials for 2023 are back on track. March 15, 2022: The Wilkerson bellwether trial is underway. 3M Co. had good reason to bet that it could use U.S. bankruptcy laws to shield itself from a mountain of personal-injury lawsuits filed over its allegedly defective military earplugs.3M has lost 10 of the 16 earplug cases that have gone to trial so far, with about $265 million being awarded in total to 13 plaintiffs. 3M's bankruptcy strategy mirrors a similar effort by Johnson ...Aug 29, 2023 · Minnesota veterans blame 3M’s ‘defective’ ear plugs for hearing damage. 3M to pay $2.2M in latest ‘defective’ earplugs lawsuit. Mediation ordered to begin in 3M lawsuit. 3M has agreed to pay more than $6 billion to consumers and military members who alleged the company's ear plugs were defective and caused hearing loss, tinnitus and other hearing-related injuries.The first 3M earplug cases recently went to trial, and depending on how these early “bellwether” lawsuits go, 3M may face increasing pressure to reach a quicker settlement with thousands of veterans and military service members who claim the company’s defective ear plugs caused their hearing loss. With lawsuits moving to trial, affected ....