Multinational manufacturing company 3M has agreed to pay $6bn to resolve roughly 300 000 lawsuits, alleging it supplied faulty combat earplugs to the US military that resulted in significant injuries, including hearing loss.
This comes hard on the heels of litigation earlier this year when the company agreed to fork out millions after public water suppliers detected its “forever chemicals” in their water systems.
In a statement, 3M said the agreement for the earplug suits was “not an admission of liability” and that the payout would be done over several years and encompass $5bn in cash and $1bn in stock, reports CNN.
“The products at issue are safe and effective when used properly. 3M is prepared to continue to defend itself in the litigation if certain agreed terms of the settlement agreement are not fulfilled,” the company said.
The earplugs were used by the US military in training and combat from 2003 to 2015. Veterans accused 3M of selling defective devices that caused hearing loss and tinnitus, according to a 2021 report.
The earplugs were made by Aearo Technologies, a company 3M bought in 2008. Aearo tried filing for bankruptcy last year as a way to fund its liabilities and limit exposure. However, that was dismissed by a judge this year because “allowing an otherwise financially healthy debtor with no impending solvency issues to remain in bankruptcy … exceeds the boundaries of the court’s limited jurisdiction”.
This marks 3M’s second significant lawsuit settlement this year. In June, it announced it would pay up to $10.3bn over 13 years to fund public water suppliers in the US that had detected its toxic “forever chemicals” in their water supplies.
Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals”, have been found in hundreds of household items, including makeup and carpeting, and are used to make coatings that repel water, grease and oil.
The settlement comes after 3M faced thousands of lawsuits that allege the company knew PFAS caused cancer, developmental defects and other health problems, and that the chemicals contaminated drinking water systems.
Last year, 3M said it would stop producing the controversial chemicals by the end of 2025.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
US Appeals Court reinstates nearly 6,000 surgical products liability lawsuits against 3M
Stringent EPA limits for ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
US states crack down on toxic ‘forever chemicals’