Veterans all over the U.S. are filing lawsuits against the manufacturing giant 3M for providing them with combat arms earplugs that had a flaw in their design. The earplugs have caused hearing problems in all those who used them. The 3M hearing loss lawsuit alleges that the manufacturing company sold the faulty earplugs to the U.S. government after being aware of the fact that they are not capable of functioning well.
More than a hundred veterans have turned to litigation against the manufacturing company.
The faulty earplugs manufactured by the 3M Company were issued the veterans during their service period in Iraq and Afghanistan for over a decade between 2003 and 2015. Several U.S. service members had been issued the faulty earplugs and the 3M hearing loss lawsuit is a means of justice for all the several veterans who still continue to bear the consequences of the mistakes made by the 3M Company.
The U.S. department of justice (DOJ) investigated the matter and realized that the earplugs were too short to function properly. Despite the fact that the design was faulty, the company manufactured the earplugs and later sold it off to the U.S. government.
3M Hearing Loss Lawsuit Allegations
The U.S. government and the Department Of Justice allege that the manufacturing giant 3M was aware of the fact that the earplugs were too short to function properly. They were not able to block the noises efficiently and did not serve the purpose for which they were manufactured. However, 3M still sold these earplugs to the U.S. government to make profit.
The company placed their profit above their nation and intended to eat of the hard work of brave and courageous U.S. service members.
The 3M Company has come to a settlement of $9.1 million; however, this money cannot buy back the health of the veterans. The U.S. government says this compensation could help relieve the veterans of the medical expenses and lost wages and all other issues their family faced and is facing due to the faulty earplugs.
Veterans tell us about their misery
Many veterans are opening up about the pain the earplugs have caused them. After serving the country selflessly, they are left with a number of hearing complications, tinnitus being the most common of them all.
Their story gives us an insight on the fact that the negligence of the authorities led to an irreparable damage to the people who live for their nation. For over a decade, veterans were issued with the faulty earplugs that did not keep their ears safe from loud noises, leading them to partial hearing loss or in some cases, complete hearing loss.
The faulty design
The combat arms earplugs came with two ends. The dual ended earplugs were specially manufactured to prevent loud sounds from affecting the ears of the service men on field. The two ends were colored green and yellow.
While one end prevented extremely loud noises from falling on the ears and allowing the person to hear soft sounds like conversations, the other end blocked all sounds and did not let the person hear a thing.
Even though the dual ended combat arms earplugs were built to keep their ears safe, veterans incurred medical damages. The issue was with the basic design of the earplugs. They were too short to function properly and irrespective of the end inserted, the noise still damaged the ears. The earplugs were incapable of blocking loud sounds and prolonged use of the faulty earplugs led to the damages that the veterans have to live with.
Many of the veterans mention tinnitus in the 3M hearing loss lawsuit
The 3M hearing loss lawsuit mentions tinnitus as one of the most common and heart-breaking ailment the veterans have to live with.
Tinnitus is a hearing impediment caused by loud noises that have been falling on the ears for a long time. It is obvious that the faulty earplugs led to this suffering of the veterans.
Tinnitus is a constant sound rings in the ears of the veterans. These sounds do not belong to the surroundings. These phantom sounds include ringing, buzzing, hissing and many other sounds which only the affected person hears. The intensity of these sounds varies periodically. While sometimes it might seem like a background, underlying sound, there are times when these phantom sounds become impossible to bear.
In worst cases, some people might also be victims of hearing loss. Tinnitus can last for years and in rare cases, forever. Doctors say that tinnitus is not actually a disease, but a symptom of a disease which could be age related factors as well.
