Jury Returns 9 Million Verdict Against 3M in Military Earplugs Lawsuit

Jurors in the first military earplug lawsuit returned a $7 million verdict that included more than $6 million in punitive damages against 3M for selling the military faulty earplugs.

Hundreds of military veterans are expected to file lawsuits against the manufacturing company 3M, claiming it knowingly sold defective earplugs. These complaints come after the Justice Department settled a lawsuit with the company in July over allegations the company defrauded the government by selling earplugs with "dangerous design defects" to the military for "more than a decade."

3M agreed to pay $9.1 million to the government, but admitted no liability. CBS News' Dr. Jon LaPook spoke with servicemen who deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, where they were in close proximity to small arms, heavy artillery and rockets. Until that 3M settlement, they believed their hearing loss was par for the course.

As Seen on CBS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-veterans-claim-defective-3m-earplugs-caused-hearing-loss/