Houston 3M Earplug Injury Lawyer
Disclaimer: Our law firm does not handle Civil Rights – Police Brutality cases. This article is for informational purposes only. Information found in the article does not constitute as formal legal advice and does not create an attorney/client relationship.
Have you suffered tinnitus, hearing loss, or other injuries while serving in the military? Do you suspect that your injuries were caused by defective 3M Combat Arms Earplugs V2? If so, you could be entitled to a substantial monetary settlement or award.
A Houston 3M earplug injury lawyer can help you fight to get the money you deserve. This way, you have the opportunity to learn about your legal options.
Table of Contents
How Can Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers Help?
While you may be entitled to compensation, getting a huge multinational corporation like 3M to pay up can be a challenge. Fortunately, you don’t have to attempt to hold them accountable on your own. By enlisting the help of a Houston personal injury lawyer, you can really level the playing field and position yourself to get a full financial recovery.
At Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers, we have more than 45 years of experience standing up to huge corporations like 3M. We’ve seen, time and time again, just how much damage a defective product can do. We’ve also seen the lengths to which companies will go to avoid taking responsibility for this damage. To us, that’s unacceptable.
We are committed to doing whatever it takes to recover substantial sums for our injured clients. We’re prepared to invest whatever time, financial resources, and legal manpower are necessary to get the job done.
We offer a free consultation.
How Are 3M Combat Arms Earplugs V2 Defective?
Military service members are particularly susceptible to hearing-related injuries. So, earplugs capable of dampening and blocking out loud levels of noise are critical pieces of safety equipment. 3M secured the government contract to supply the military with these important safety devices. Between 2003 and 2015, 3M supplied the United States military with Combat Arms Earplugs V2.
However, it turns out that the 3M earplugs were defective. Due to a design defect, the earplugs were too short and did not fit snugly into the ear. This means that the earplug couldn’t create a tight seal to adequately block out loud levels of sound. In turn, thousands and thousands of military servicemembers were not protected from potentially damaging noise from loud blasts, gunfire, explosions, training exercises, and vehicles.
So, the 3M earplugs are alleged to have a design defect. Additionally, the 3M company is accused of knowing about the defect and having a way to fix the problem. Apparently, 3M knew that the earplugs would be more effective if one side was folded back when inserted into the ear. However, the company never passed along information about the defect or fix to the military or personnel. So, 3M’s earplugs are also alleged to have a marketing defect, as well.
How Do I Know If I Have a 3M Injury Lawsuit?
To date, 3M has been named in hundreds of earplug injury lawsuits. In these suits, more than 1,700 military veterans claim that the company supplied the military with defective earplugs and, in turn, they’ve sustained serious injuries.
The only way to know for sure if you have a legitimate 3M injury lawsuit is by contacting an experienced Houston injury lawyer to discuss your case in detail. However, here are a few key factors that might indicate that you have grounds to file a claim and demand compensation:
- You served in the United States military between 2003 and 2015
- You were deployed overseas, particularly to Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, or Somalia, and
- You have sustained injuries that are likely associated with acute or chronic exposure to dangerous levels of sound.
Note that you can still have a legitimate claim even if you were not deployed overseas. 3M’s earplugs were also standard-issue to military trainees and servicemembers at home in the United States.
What Injuries Are Associated With Defective 3M Earplugs?
3M’s military-issue ear plugs were two-sided. One side was intended to dampen or mute dangerous levels of sound, while still allowing the servicemember to hear some noise (such as commands or nearby conversations). The other was designed to block out all noise. 3M’s earplugs, however, reportedly didn’t do either of these jobs. In turn, service members were made vulnerable to many injuries, including:
- Partial hearing loss
- Total hearing loss
- Temporary hearing loss
- Permanent hearing loss
- Tinnitus
- Sensorineural hearing loss, and
- Auditory processing disorder.
Unfortunately, physical injuries aren’t the only risk associated with defective earplugs. Studies show that military personnel who suffer physical hearing-related injuries are at an increased risk of suffering from mental health issues, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
What Damages Can I Recover If I’ve Suffered Injuries Because of 3M’s Defective Earplugs?
In 2016, a whistleblower filed a False Claims Act lawsuit against 3M in federal court, claiming that the company knowingly supplied the military with earplugs that were dangerously defective. This lawsuit effectively exposed the company’s shady practices. Rather than fight, the company settled with the government. It agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve the suit. However, none of this money will go to affected servicemembers.
Instead, affected men and women will have to seek compensation and justice on their own. A lawyer will aggressively pursue all damages that might be available through a product liability lawsuit. This could include money for:
- Medical bills, including hospitalization, surgery, medical devices, medical equipment, and medication
- Lost wages or income
- Temporary and/or permanent disability
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life, and
- Emotional distress.
An attorney will work closely with medical professionals, former military personnel, vocational rehabilitation specialists, therapists, and any other experts who might be able to shed some light on your case. With their help, we can really dig deep to determine the true impact of your 3M earplug injury. They’ll work diligently to identify your present costs and figure out how your injury will affect you in the years to come. Taking the time to do this can help to ensure that we really know what your case is worth that we have the proof to back it up.
How Long Do I Have to File a 3M Earplug Lawsuit in Texas?
In Texas, product liability lawsuits must typically be filed within two years of the date of injury. However, you might not have realized that you were injured right away. It could take months, or even years, to discover your 3M earplug injury – or the link between the defective device and your suffering. In that case, the statute of limitations can be tolled (or paused) for a period of time.
However, Texas has a statute of repose for product liability claims. This means that product liability lawsuits can’t be filed more than 15 years after a product is first sold. So, you won’t have an unlimited amount of time to bring your claim.
That’s why it’s critical to reach out to an experienced attorney if you suspect that you’ve been injured as a result of defective 3M earplugs. If you wait too long, you risk losing the right to recover valuable compensation for your injuries and suffering.
Call a Houston 3M Earplug Injury Lawyer For Help
You dedicated years of your life to protect and defend our country. Now, because 3M prioritized its own profits over your safety, you’re struggling with crippling and debilitating noise-induced injuries. It sold defective earplugs to the military without disclosing the risks, and you’re paying the price. You may have the right to hold the company fully accountable for the harm they’ve caused.
