$2.2M Verdict Against 3M Over Earplugs Lawsuit

$2.2M Verdict Against 3M Over Earplugs Lawsuit

Introduction

A U.S. Army veteran has been awarded $2.2 million against 3M in Florida court by a federal jury for the hearing loss due to the company's defective earplugs.

The veteran served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2010 when he used 3M's Combat Arms CAEv2 earplugs, resulting in his hearing loss and tinnitus due to the alleged defective design of the product.

3M has won six bellwether trials over its earplugs, whereas it has faced defeat in nine bellwether trials which accounts for $200 million in settlements for the plaintiffs. The company faces one of the largest mass torts cases ever in the history of the U.S.

The plaintiffs' attorneys claimed that the 3M's defenses, whether in the courts, to investors, or the public, have been unconvincing and without merit.

The spokesperson for the company said that the verdict is a big disappointment as the plaintiffs' attorneys failed to present relevant evidence to the jury. The company continues to defend its earplugs by appealing the losses considering the trials it has won.

The company even explained that as per the Colorado law, which applies to the recent verdict, the penalty of $2.2 million will be reduced to  $668,010 plus pre-judgment interest.

The attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that the company is guilty of consumer fraud, and so it needs to cover the attorneys' fees along with the interest, which will exceed the payment of $2 million.

3M discontinued the earplugs in 2015 as it had been a standard issue for over a decade in the U.S. military. Currently, 3M faces more than 280,000 pending claims over its military earplugs, from which 42,000 claims are being prepared for a trial, whereas the remaining claims sit on an administrative docket. All the lawsuits are consolidated in multidistrict litigation or MDL case in the U.S. District Court of northern Florida.