The 3M earplug case is an infamous case involving earplugs sold to the US military between 2003 and 2015. A lot of lawsuits were filed because many of the military personnel who use these earplugs suffered from hearing loss. These earplugs didn't work because it failed to fit tightly within the ears of the users. As a result, the earplugs didn't stop any loud noises from damaging the hearing capabilities.
People are looking for compensation since they were sold defective products with assurances that it will work. So, many people are looking to file lawsuits. Some are looking to get back at the company which made these products. But many need the money to fund the medical expenses and surgeries resulting from the hearing loss.
But there are some details which one needs to know about first:
Are You Eligible For Compensation In This Case?
There are some grey areas when it comes to eligibility. But do note that if you were using the earplugs during training, deployment, or got discharged before 2015 January, then you can file a compensation case. Note that you must have used the CAEv2 earplugs or the 3M Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 to file this case.
Has Anyone got A Settlement Till Now?
Note that even though claims have been filed in the thousands against 3M, there has been no settlement. For now, all of these claims are pending. Once pre-trial discovery is carried out, some cases will go on for trial. These will then be used as a roadmap for negotiating a settlement in all the earplugs cases for 3M.
How Much Time Will It Take For The Earplug Lawsuit?
It's better if you are prepared for a long wait. Multiple law firms estimate that it will take up to 3 years or even more to settle this hearing loss lawsuit.
What Is The Current Settlement Value Of The 3M Earplugs Lawsuit?
The class-action litigation of the cases filed against 3M is currently in the strict discovery stage. Due to this, everyone is in the beginning stages of understanding just what the cases are worth. But one can get a general idea of the potential settlement's worth by looking at other hearing loss related cases.
If we take a look at other cases where the main injury was hearing loss or tinnitus, then the average claim value seems to rest at anywhere from $50,000-$300,000. The wide gap denotes the range of severity. Yet, it must be noted that in the 3M case, the claim value is estimated to be higher than the range stated here.
Why Is The Settlement Estimated To Be Higher For 3M Earplugs?
The higher rate is being estimated because 3M is a global manufacturing company. Also, military veterans garner sympathy and respect from everyone, as they rightly should. Not to mention that the case against the company for knowingly going forward with defected products is really strong. As a result, the individual payouts will be higher if the filed cases go on for trial.
As such, in this 3M earplugs settlement case, the payouts are being predicted to be high. It must be kept in mind that the entire thing is in the discovery stage for now. So it will take a couple of years, at least, for the cases to move forward and a settlement case to be established.