3M Combat Earplugs Lawsuit

3M Dual-Sided Combat Arms Earplugs (CAEv2) were distributed to U.S. Armed Forces servicemen and servicewomen with the intent of protecting their ears from dangerous levels of noise during combat. However, these combat earplugs had a serious defect proven to cause hearing injuries. People who wore them are entitled to justice and compensation for their injuries sustained due to the use of 3M dual-sided Combat Arms Earplugs.

Aero Technologies–the parent company of 3M–manufactured and supplied the United States military with faulty earplugs intended to protect the hearing of service members between 2003 and 2015. Soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq received 3M earplugs, without knowledge of their inability to fully protect their hearing from the noises created during combat. 3M stopped making the earplugs in 2015, but never recalled the product, or told consumers that they used a product that was flawed.

Moldex-Metric, a 3M competitor, acted as a whistleblower in 2016, filing a lawsuit against the company claiming that 3M knew their earplugs were defective. The lawsuit stated that 3M’s ineffective Combat Arms Earplugs were the cause of the hearing loss and tinnitus experienced by many soldiers who served overseas.

Today, more than 230,000 service members and veterans are suing 3M in conjunction with the Combat Arms Earplugs lawsuit. As of 2023, the company has agreed to a settlement of more than $6 billion, making the case the largest mass tort lawsuit in American legal history.

If you or a loved one served in the military between 2003 and 2015, you may be entitled to financial compensation if you’ve experienced hearing loss or tinnitus as a result of using 3M Combat Arms Earplugs.

The 3M earplug lawsuit, primarily concerning military veterans who developed tinnitus or hearing loss after using allegedly defective earplugs, has seen several payouts over the past few years. The 3M Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2), were intended to protect military personnel's hearing in loud environments. However, plaintiffs argue that design flaws allowed sound to bypass the earplugs, leading to hearing damage.

In terms of payouts, average settlements have varied, with several cases resulting in individual verdicts between $50,000 and $1.7 million, depending on the severity of the hearing loss and the impact on the individual’s life. As of 2024, discussions are ongoing regarding a comprehensive settlement for the large number of claims against 3M. In August 2023, 3M announced a tentative $6 billion settlement plan to resolve approximately 260,000 lawsuits; this could lead to average payouts in the range of tens of thousands per claimant, although specific amounts will depend on individual case assessments.

April 1, 2025

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February 1, 2025

3M reached a $6.01 billion settlement in 2023 to resolve lawsuits related to defective Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2). The settlement covers approximately 260,000 claims from U.S. military veterans and service members who alleged hearing damage due to the faulty earplugs.

• January 1, 2025 - 3M's $6.01 billion earplug settlement expected to payout by Spring 2025.
• December 1, 2024 - 3M earplug settlement lawyers inch closer to $540 million payout.
• October 1, 2024 - 3M Combat Earplug Insurance Appeal Denied by Delaware Judge
• August 1, 2024 - The settlement process for the 3M earplug litigation, one of the largest mass torts in U.S. history, continues. Veterans and military service members affected by defective Combat Arms earplugs have agreed to a $6 billion settlement.
• July 1, 2024 - US veterans suing 3M over earplugs seek to stop unit's false alarm bankruptcy.
• June 1, 2024 - 3M begins payments to service members in $6 billion earplug settlement.
• May 1, 2024 - 3M agrees to pay $6 billion in earplugs lawsuit, Novak Djokovic wins in US Open return, and more trending news.
• April 1, 2024 - Nearly all of the claimants who sued St. Paul-based 3M over alleged faulty combat earplugs will participate in a multibillion dollar settlement, 3M said.
• March 1, 2024 - 3M has paid $6 billion in settlements to resolve numerous lawsuits filed by U.S. military personnel who claim to have suffered hearing loss or serious injuries after using earplugs manufactured by 3M.
• January 1, 2024 - The implementation of the Combat Arms Earplugs settlement reaches a new milestone.

To date, the only settlement amount from 3M has been the $9.1 million compensation paid to the United States federal government in July 2018. The settlement occurred after a whistleblower within 3M alerted the federal government to the defective nature of the earplugs. 

3M is now required to pay $6.01 billion in damages to settle lawsuits from service members and others who suffered injury due to the company’s faulty earplugs. Because the case has been combined into a mass tort case, plaintiffs can expect settlements to be based on individual circumstances rather than a fixed sum for all combat troops injured by 3M defective earplugs. The money will be paid out to those entitled to financial compensation between 2023 and 2029.

The 3M lawsuit settlement amounts will undoubtedly continue to be a major financial headache for the company as the 3M defective earplugs case has become the biggest mass tort suit in United States history with many more military personnel expected to join. 

Hearing loss is one facet of the damage caused by defective earplugs. Service members and veterans can experience issues like depression and anxiety linked to hearing problems. Each claimant will face unique issues that will have to be taken into account when determining payouts for 3M earplugs cases. 

Judge Jeffrey Graham, a U.S. bankruptcy judge, allowed Kirkland & Ellis (November 10, 2022) to continue representing bankrupt 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies. Judge Graham rejected calls to disqualify Aearo Technologies because it had defended 3M.

The 3M combat earplugs were designed to prevent hearing damage. The earplugs were used by members of the U.S. Armed Forces. 3M earplugs were given to service members who were regularly subjected to noisy conditions in both training and combat.

To work effectively, the earplugs need a 100% seal to block out the noise. The earplugs were too short to fill the ear canal properly, so a proper seal wasn’t created.

The result was damage to the inner ear (and the sensitive hairs of the inner ear) of affected service members. Many users didn’t realize they weren’t being properly protected.

3M earplugs are responsible for hearing loss and painful tinnitus experienced by many service members and veterans. As a consequence, thousands of US troops and veterans are suing a 3M for supplying them with defective earplugs during military tours from 2003 to 2015. 

Many veterans suffer hearing problems after exposure to dangerous levels of noise, common in combat missions. However, 3M is accused of providing the military with defective Combat Arms earplugs and for covering up knowledge of the faulty equipment that was supposed to protect troops’ ears.

Many members and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces have been in contact with 3M earplug lawsuit attorneys and have begun bringing personal injury claims against 3M after suffering ear problems.

Historically, soldiers in the military have needed to carry two different types of earplugs in combat zones. One was used to block all sound (much like traditional earplugs designed for civilians). The other was used to block loud noises while still allowing them to hear and communicate with people nearby. 

3M attempted to solve this problem by releasing dual-ended earplugs that allowed soldiers to have both functions within a single pair of earplugs. Unfortunately, the design of the earplugs was flawed. The Combat Arms Earplugs were too short for the ear canals of many soldiers, resulting in a failed seal. This meant that even though soldiers were wearing their earplugs with the expectation of being protected from loud noise, sound was able to reach the inner ear.

Everyone hears loud noises from time to time, often without consequence. Hearing an extremely loud noise once, or hearing loud noises over time, however, can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss, as well as an ongoing sound of ringing in the ears known as tinnitus. 

Listening to loud music can cause people to experience hearing loss and tinnitus, as can loud sounds experienced in the workplace. It’s essential for employers to provide effective, safe earplugs to employees who are exposed to loud noises at work–such as soldiers who are serving in combat zones. 

Loud noise can harm a part of the ear called the cochlea, a fluid-filled space in the inner ear filled with delicate hair cells that move when your ears receive sound waves. These hair cells are necessary to translate sound waves into nerve messages that the brain is able to understand. Sadly, damage to the cells in the cochlea typically results in permanent hearing loss. When the hairs are bent or broken (but not destroyed), they can send incorrect impulses to the brain, resulting in hearing a constant ringing sound known as tinnitus. 

A whistleblower within the company discovered that 3M had intentionally hidden the defects, helping the U.S. government to strike back at 3M for its misleading claims.  3M eventually settled with the U.S. government, and now many affected service members and veterans are fighting the company for justice and compensation for their injuries sustained while wearing these earplugs. Moreover, many impacted individuals are currently building and pursuing legal action against 3M for both financial and non-financial damages that resulted from wearing these defective earplugs.

There are potentially millions of U.S. Armed Forces service members and veterans who were negatively impacted by defective 3M combat earplugs.  According to statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, hearing loss and tinnitus are amongst the most common health issues suffered by veterans. More than 1.7 million veterans receive compensation for tinnitus while another 1.1 million veterans receive compensation for hearing loss. 

All members of each branch of the military who served between 2003-2015 who used these earplugs were potentially exposed to damage, amounting to hundreds of thousands of potential injuries (if not more). 

At the heart of the 3M faulty earplug lawsuit is the charge that the company knew its products, called 3M Combat Arms Hear-Through Earplugs, were defective, and that the earplugs could loosen in a way that would render them ineffective. 3M settled a lawsuit with the federal government a couple of years ago, but many individual military personnel have joined the lawsuit against 3M after suffering hearing loss or tinnitus after using the company’s earplugs while on duty.

Ear damage is one of the most common injuries suffered by U.S. military veterans. In fact, the Hearing Health Foundation cites tinnitus, ringing in the ear, and hearing loss as the two most common health complaints among veterans. Furthermore, the Military Health System has stated that hearing issues are the main disability in the veteran community. Moreover, studies have linked hearing problems with other issues like depression and anxiety.

If you served in the military between 2003 and 2015 and experienced temporary or permanent hearing loss, or are dealing with tinnitus, it’s important to reach out to a case expert who can work with you to determine whether you may be entitled to compensation. Since this is a mass tort case, each payout is individual, and depends on the extent of your injuries and suffering. It’s essential that you work with a lawyer who understands the nuances of the case in order to get the money you deserve.

If you’re a veteran or current service member who is interested in receiving compensation from 3M following hearing loss due to the use of their defective earplugs, you don’t have to figure this out alone–we’re here to help.. Fill out the free evaluation form. If you qualify, we will be in contact with you to explain the process and connect you with experienced 3M lawsuit lawyers to handle your case.