3M Loses First Trial Over Military Earplugs -- Update
01 May 2021 - 5:40AM
Dow Jones News
By Sara Randazzo
3M Co. lost the first lawsuit to go to trial over the safety of
earplugs it sold for years to the military, with a Florida federal
jury Friday awarding $7.1 million to three veterans and finding the
company failed to warn about defects in the product.
More than 230,000 service members, veterans and others have
filed claims blaming 3M earplugs for causing hearing loss. The
distinct yellow-and-green plugs, used widely by the U.S. Army and
other branches, were designed with one side intended to fully block
noise and the other to let in nearby voices while shielding the ear
from harmful ballistic noises.
Minnesota-based 3M has stood by the safety of the earplugs,
which it stopped selling in 2015. A company spokeswoman said Friday
they disagree with the verdict and don't believe plaintiffs met the
burden of proving the "product was defectively or negligently
designed" or caused the veterans' purported injuries. The company,
she said, will evaluate "multiple grounds for appeal."
Write to Sara Randazzo at sara.randazzo@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 30, 2021 15:25 ET (19:25 GMT)
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