Two out of the Three Bellweather Trials Ended in Favor of Plaintiffs – current and former U.S. service members who suffered hearing loss and tinnitus
As reported by JDSupra, this is good news for the for the plaintiffs whose 3M earplug lawsuits are still in progress. The verdicts in these two cases resulted in awards of $1.7M and $7.1M to the individual plaintiffs in these cases.
These cases have now become the largest mass tort matter in the United States.
What is a Bellweather Trial?
A bellweather trial is selected by a judge from a pool of cases that have common questions of fact, that have been temporarily consolidated and transferred to a single district court for pretrial proceedings, though they remain separate cases.
Bellweather trials serve as tests to see how juries will rule on the facts of a case and help parties involved in this pool of cases to assess whether to continue with trial or settle the remaining claims.
If I was deployed between 2003-2015, why should these results matter to me?
Service members suffering from hearing loss and/or tinnitus that used 3M Dual-Ended Combat Earplugs (CAEv.2) may have a compensable claim, but might not understand what they may be entitled to or how to file a claim.
Unlike a class action, each of our clients’ cases are filed as individual claims. Each individual’s case facts are evaluated on its own merits, including exposure, causation, injuries, and damages.
If you are (1) experiencing hearing loss, (2) were a deployed service member between 2003-2015, and (3) used 3M Dual-Ended Combat Earplugs (CAEv.2), but waited to pursue a claim or get more information about your eligibility, answer a few questions below and a member of our firm will answer all questions you have about this litigation.
3M Dual-Ended Combat Earplugs (CAEv.2) and Hearing Loss
In July of 2018, the Department of Justice announced that 3M agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly supplied the United States with defective dual-ended combat earplugs. The US alleged that Version 2 of the earplugs (CAEv.2) were too short for proper insertion into users’ ears and that the earplugs could imperceptibly loosen. Because of this design defect, the government argued the health and welfare of service members were directly impacted.
Who may have been issued these Earplugs?
These defective 3M Dual-Ended Combat Earplugs (CAEv.2) earplugs were issued to thousands of service members deployed from 2003 to 2015. Veterans and active service members that suffer from hearing loss may have a claim against against 3M. If you questions about this investigation or any of our firm’s other investigation, please contact us or call 800-667-6759.