South Carolina 3M Hearing Loss Lawyer
Earplugs, when properly used, can protect a person’s ears from common trauma associated with loud noises. Unfortunately, even when properly used, an earplug cannot provide effective protection if the item is defective.
A recent court filing made by the United States Attorney General’s office alleged that 3M created millions of defective Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) that resulted in hearing damage for thousands of our country’s soldiers. Military members who used these items may have been exposed to severe hearing damage or even deafness.
A South Carolina 3M hearing loss lawyer could help you if you believe that a defective 3M earplug has contributed to your current loss of hearing. Working with a well-versed defective products lawyer could help you make sure you are claiming compensation for the true cost of your hearing loss.
3M’s Duty to Servicemembers in South Carolina
3M was recently the subject of a lawsuit filed by the United States alleging a violation of The False Claims Act. This lawsuit alleged that 3M provided defective earplugs to the military. Although 3M settled the claim for a value in excess of $9 million, the settlement does little to help those affected by the faulty products.
Instead, injured veterans and servicemembers must pursue cases on their own initiative in South Carolina’s courts. These cases would allege that a defect in the earplugs caused a consumer’s injuries. According to South Carolina Code §15-73-10 a manufacturer that sells that product in a defective condition is liable if:
- 3M made the specific product
- 3M knew the product would reach the user in the condition it was sold, and it did
In short, 3M may be liable if they sold a product in a defective condition that was not fixed before reaching the user. A South Carolina 3M hearing loss lawyer could help examine the actions of 3M that may have led to injuries and to pursue cases designed to collect appropriate compensation.
How 3M’s Earplugs Caused Hearing Loss
Earplugs are an essential piece of safety equipment for military personnel on active duty. They work by creating a tight seal in the ear canals to prevent damaging sound waves from gunshots, explosions, and aircraft from affecting the eardrums. A failure on the part of the earplug to provide this seal could have disastrous consequences. This can be made even worse if the user expects that a seal is present when it is not.
This is exactly what happened to thousands of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. 3M manufactured millions of the model CAEv2 earplugs to send to soldiers from 2003 through 2015. Sadly, these earplugs were defective. They appeared to make a solid seal but would loosen imperceptibly and allow dangerous sound waves to affect the wearer. This resulted in hearing loss and tinnitus for thousands of military members.
A South Carolina 3M Hearing Loss Attorney is Here to Help
Enduring hearing loss is something that a person should never have to experience. This especially applies if you are wearing earplugs intended to shield your ears from damaging sounds. Unfortunately, 3M has failed in their duty to provide a product that functions as advertised. This has led to military personnel who relied on their product for protection to suffer permanent harm.
A South Carolina 3M hearing loss lawyer could help you to recover the compensation needed to set things right. Let an attorney fight for you today. Call now to learn more.
