Jackson Attorneys Advocating for Injured Veterans

History of 3M Combat Earplugs

Earplugs are often purchased to prevent ear injuries and hearing loss. Military service members used 3M combat earplugs supplied to the United States Defense Logistics Agency to protect their ears and hearing. Unfortunately, the history of 3M combat earplugs shows that the earplugs may have been defective. It is alleged that the manufacturer 3M and the company that originally designed the earplugs, Aearo Technologies, knew that the earplugs were defective and might not fulfill their intended purpose of preventing injuries. They did not disclose the problem, and military service members were put at risk of suffering hearing loss and ear damage. If you were in the military and meet other qualifications, and your ears were injured or you lost your hearing because of the defects in 3M earplugs, the Jackson 3M earplug injury lawyers at Coxwell & Associates may be able to help you recover compensation through a product liability lawsuit.

History of 3M Combat Earplugs

The Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) were developed by Aearo Technologies and then sold them to 3M. 3M developed the original design to allow the earplug to function in two ways. The earplugs developed by 3M were used exclusively by people in service in the Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. They were worn from 2003 to 2015 by Army, Navy, and Air Force members. Unfortunately, the veterans and service members who wore the 3M Combat Arms Earplugs may have been harmed by them.

It has been alleged that the end that was placed in a user’s ear canal was insufficiently long. Therefore, sound could get around a loose earplug. A user could be exposed to the sounds of aircraft, gunfire, and explosions, from which he or she was supposed to be protected. Users might not even know that they were being exposed to these loud, harmful sounds. Many users suffered from hearing loss and tinnitus, conditions from which they believed that they were protected by using the earplugs.