Company has agreed to compensate US military personnel who would have suffered hearing loss from wearing the item in combat.
US technology company 3M announced this Tuesday (29.Aug.2023) an agreement to pay US$ 6 billion and end thousands of lawsuits that accuse the company of selling defective ear protectors that would have caused hearing loss in members of the United States military service. The information is from Reuters.
About 240,000 people are expected to be eligible for the settlement, as reported by Chris Seeger, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, during an interview with journalists this 3rd (29.Aug).
The deal, which consists of $5 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M stock, will be made in payments that will run through 2029. participate, but the expectation of the lawyers is that this limit will be reached.
In 2019, thousands of US military and veterans sued 3M and its subsidiary, Aearo Technologies, over problems with Combat Arms earplugs. These protectors, used from 2003 to 2015, including in combat zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq, would have failed to adequately protect against loud noises, such as from gunfire, due to a faulty design that resulted in hearing damage. 3M had acquired Aearo Technologies in 2008.
In the announcement this 3rd (29.Aug), the company stated that the agreement was not an admission of responsibility. “The products at issue in this litigation are safe and effective when used properly. […] 3M is prepared to continue to defend itself if certain agreed terms are not met.”he said.
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