Each year thousands of veterans suffer from hearing loss which has become quite prevalent nowadays. Day to day jobs for the veterans while they were serving in the military included exposure to very loud sounds, some of these sounds are so loud that they can seriously damage one’s health. The military provides earplugs to help prevent hearing loss, however, they were providing defective combat earplugs produced by 3M. Many of the veterans who used earplugs made by 3M, suffered heavy hearing loss which has now resulted in a 3M hearing loss lawsuit for veterans.
3M Hearing Loss Lawsuit Background
According to CBS news, hearing loss is severe especially in Veterans who have been in the military services for decades and those in the combat field surrounded by the loud sound of guns and explosions. Hearing loss generally is defined by the sound of ringing in the ears which was formerly diagnosed as tinnitus. Hearing loss, however, is not very uncommon for our veterans in service: effective measures are being taken to minimize the harm in every way possible. Soldiers are provided access to military grade ear plugs whenever possible. however, thousands of veterans who used 3M Combat Arms Earplugs have suffered hearing loss and tinnitus. The Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2), designed and introduced in 2003 by Aearo Technologies, was allegedly defective. Many of the veterans who used earplugs made by 3M, suffered heavy hearing loss and were forced to retire due to hearing damage leading to disability. Shamis & Gentile, P.A. is filing 3M hearing loss lawsuit claims on behalf of our veterans. If you are suffering from hearing loss or tinnitus and would like to be a part of the 3M hearing loss lawsuit please contact us today.
The reason for the earplugs made by 3M to be rendered defective was loose fitting. With regular use, veterans complained that these earplugs would come loose, thus becoming less effective and unable to prevent tinnitus and serious hearing loss problems.
Additionally, these earplugs were allegedly designed in a dual-ended mode. It would give the wearer the option to switch them and turn them around based on the demand of the situation. According to the reports in Military Times, veterans relied upon these earplugs extensively hoping that their hearing would remain protected. But the earplugs functioned against the desired effect. The products did not work at all. On the contrary, it left the veterans exposed to many kinds of hearing problems leading to military hearing loss.
Hearing Loss Symptoms
Symptoms of hearing loss include- Dizziness, headaches, neck aches, ear pain, intermittent tinnitus, ear ringing, incessant buzzing sound in one year or both the years and loss of equilibrium. Thousands of servicemen who used earplugs made by 3M may have been affected by these issues.
3M Hearing Loss Lawsuit Claims 3M Knew About Their Defective Product
Some servicemen allegedly claimed that 3M was aware of these earplugs being defective all along and heedlessly continued supplying these faulty products to the military. 3M did not inform the Government about these issues. As a result, 3M is facing lawsuits by hundreds of military men and women who used these faulty earplugs. Additionally, veterans have come together to form mass litigation in a federal court in Florida. These lawsuits accuse 3M of deliberately committing fraud against the US military as they failed to inform either the Government or the veterans about the defects in the earplugs. Falsifying earplug results is among other allegations. The complaint in the lawsuits is stated as the design of the earplugs was primarily at fault as the stem of the earplugs was too short. As a result, the earplugs could not be inserted deep enough into the ear canal. Thus, failing to get a proper fit would result in unwanted high-pitched sounds entering and harming the ears permanently. The fraud resulted in lifelong injuries and compromises to US veterans. The complaints against 3M do not stop here; 3M also misrepresented the effectiveness of the product besides manufacturing a defective product.
3M Hearing Loss Lawsuit Compensation
Claims of compensation can be made for hearing loss for the symptoms including hearing aid cost, loss of income, loss of future income, pain and suffering, testing and therapy. A serviceman in spite of scoring normally on a hearing test can have some other forms hearing disorders which might manifest in the longer run. Army men are more likely to experience such issues because they are mainly exposed for a long course of their life to loud and high-pitched sounds of blasts, gunfire and bombing.
The suffering of the veterans does not end with the physical issues only. Many of the veterans after losing proper hearing feel socially challenged. Not being able to hear properly, they would not be able to communicate or understand other people. High pitched sound causes heart diseases. And it has been observed in veterans that heart diseases are more common than PTSD. If you come to notice some veteran suffering from hearing loss, it would be most responsible for you to take this matter to our attention at Shamis & Gentile, P.A. to file a 3M Hearing Loss Lawsuit claim.
