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3M To Pay $6B To Settle Hearing-Loss Lawsuits Over Military Earplugs

By, Muhd. Faizan

Date - 30/08/2023

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3M has agreed to pay $6 billion to settle hundreds of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its earplugs caused hearing loss for U.S. service members.

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The deal, which was announced on August 29, 2023, is one of the largest mass tort settlements in U.S. history.

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The earplugs in question are the Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2), which were sold to the U.S. military from 2003 to 2015.

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The plaintiffs in the lawsuits alleged that the earplugs were defective because they did not adequately seal the ear canal, which allowed noise to enter and cause hearing loss.

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3M has denied the allegations, but it agreed to settle the lawsuits to avoid the cost and uncertainty of further litigation.

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The settlement will provide compensation to eligible service members who experienced hearing loss or other injuries as a result of using the earplugs.

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The average settlement for each claim is expected to be between $50,000 and $400,000.

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The settlement will be paid out over several years.

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