Tinnitus refers to a condition which presents as persistent ringing in one’s ear. The ringing can be in one or both ears, and it is described as a high-pitch sound likened to the sound a television set on mute makes. That being said, tinnitus is experienced in varying degrees and forms, with some individuals describing it as a barely audible whistle, or even a loud roar. Tinnitus is unrelenting, and it can persist for years. It comes and goes, but it does not have a cure. Doctors usually advise patients to try to live with this disruptive ringing as well as adopt various lifestyle changes such as eating foods high in polyphenols and antioxidants in order to dampen inflammation and prompt the regrowth of inner ear structures via the body’s endogenous stem cells. Recently, news broke that earplugs used by the U.S. Military were the proximate cause of tinnitus being currently experienced by tens of thousands of active duty and Army vets. These devices were also said to have played a part in the hearing loss that close to 450,000 veterans currently live with.
Are you looking for a law firm that handles military earplug lawsuits? If you suffered severe, intractable tinnitus, or lost some or all of your hearing due to using 3M earplugs, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at McCready Law have been helping injured government workers get the compensation they truly deserve in areas such as federal workers’ compensation and others. Please contact our earplug lawsuit attorneys NOW at 1 (773) 825-3547 for more information on your legal options for compensation.
Hearing Loss Due to Defective Military Earplugs
Hearing loss in combat situations is usually caused by acute noise exposure. Combat soldiers are usually sent to conflict areas which are replete with jet engines and gunfire that lasts for months, or even years. To this end, they must wear protective earplugs to help buffer their ears from these offending noises. The U.S. Department of Defense entered into a contract with device manufacturer 3M to supply hundreds of thousands of earplugs to service members within the U.S. Army. These earplugs, named Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplugs were later found to be too short to be properly inserted into one’s ears, causing them to offer little to no protection to the wearer.
Military Earplug Lawsuit – 3M Acts Fast
In July 2018, 3M acquiesced to paying $9.1 million to quell allegations that it knowingly provided the U.S. Military with defective earplugs. The company hasn’t outright said that it committed any wrongdoing, with these earplugs being issued to soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2002 and 2015.
Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Due to Military Earplugs
A Whistleblower lawsuit filed in 2016 blew the lid open with regard to 3M having knowledge of the design flaw contained in the military earplugs. In fact, the lawsuit went on to say that the company was aware of this and other design defects from as far back as 2000. In addition, the lawsuit claimed that 3M engaged in the falsification of certification in order to make it seem that they complied with the U.S. Military’s stringent standards.
Lawsuit for Defective Military Earplugs Causing Tinnitus
It is unacceptable that vets and current U.S Military personnel were exposed to preventable injuries, hearing loss and tinnitus. Ear injuries can affect a person’s ability to communicate effectively with others, navigate their environment, as well as lower their quality of life. 3M continues to deny that these injuries were caused by their defective earplugs even as more vets come forward with the same health issues due to these devices.
Who’s Affected ? Attorneys for Military Earplugs Lawsuits
If you served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well as the First Marine Expeditionary Force, the 101st Airborne Division, the Army’s V Corps in Heidelberg, Germany among others, you may be able to file a hearing loss lawsuit. It is worth noting that we’re not suing the government, but the private contractors that provided these devices to current and veteran members of the U.S. Army. Need more information on defective military earplug settlements or how to get started? Call us NOW at 1 (773) 825-3547 for more information on your legal options for compensation. Thanks, and we look forward to hearing from you.