3M Defective Military Ear Plugs Injury Litigation
Lieff Cabraser is representing veterans and military servicemembers against 3M for allegedly defective ear plugs. 3M provided the military with earplugs that were standard-issue equipment from 2003 to 2015, including for servicemembers on tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, but over 100,000 military servicemembers now claim those earplugs caused them to suffer from hearing loss and tinnitus (constant ringing in their ears).
In July 2018, the Department of Justice announced that 3M had agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly sold the dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) to the United States military without disclosing defects that made the earplugs not protect hearing as promised.
After that revelation, thousands of veterans and servicemembers brought claims against 3M for the harms caused by the Combat Arms Earplugs. These lawsuits have been consolidated before a single federal judge, who appointed a team of attorneys to coordinate litigation against 3M. Lieff Cabraser is part of that leadership team, as the Court appointed Lieff Cabraser partner Kenny Byrd to the Plaintiffs’ Early Vetting Subcommittee.
Will a legal case against a private company affect my VA benefits?
No. The VA does not consider any money you may be awarded from a lawsuit, or from a company’s bankruptcy trust fund. The VA’s primary financial concern is that you do not “double-dip” on a benefit.
You cannot receive money from the government twice for the same illness. The VA will consider your financial situation when the benefit for which you are applying is based on your income level, such as a VA Pension. The VA Disability Compensation amount is not based on income level or assets. Any assets acquired through the legal system have no effect on disability benefits.
