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3M Company Settles Government Contract Fraud Allegations3M Company has agreed to a settlement agreement of $9.1 million to bring an end to allegations that it engaged in government contract fraud.

According to the government contract fraud lawsuit, 3M Company allegedly sold an earplug device to the U.S. military, but failed to disclose significant defects—namely, defects that made the hearing protection device less effective.

Indeed, the 3M Ear Plugs lawsuit claims that the Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2) was too short to effectively go into its users’ ears, and they could loosen, making them less effective for some users. The whistleblower lawsuit alleges that 3M did not disclose this important defect information to the military.

“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the men and women serving in the United States military from defective products and fraudulent conduct,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler from the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. “Government contractors who seek to profit at the expense of our military will face appropriate consequences.”

The director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit, Frank Robey, said: “Properly made safety equipment, for use by our Soldiers, is vital to our military’s readiness. Our agents will respond robustly to protect the safety of our military.”

The alleged government contract fraud was first brought to the attention of the federal government by a whistleblower, who is set to receive $1,911,000 for their part in bringing the claims forward.

Whistleblowers and FCA

The Justice Department is often tipped off about False Claims Act (FCA) litigation by interference from a whistleblower. If you have witnessed some kind of fraud by your employer against the federal government, you may be able to file a whistleblower lawsuit.

Whistleblowers are individuals who report the fraud and illegal activities against the government of their current or former employers. Many employees choose to come forward as whistleblowers because they do not feel right about their employer’s actions. A whistleblower lawsuit can be filed while working at a company, but can also be filed after having left a company.

A person considering becoming a whistleblower on behalf of the government may worry about being fired or otherwise retaliated against at work. However, there are regulations in place to protect whistleblowers from these kinds of actions.

For speaking out, the whistleblower is typically given an award—often between 15 and 30 percent of the money recovered in the subsequent lawsuit. In this case, the person who acted as a whistleblower against 3M Company received a $1.9 million whistleblower award for their part in bringing the government contract fraud lawsuit to the attention of the federal government.

If you believe you have witnessed some kind of fraud by your current or former employer, including government contract fraud, you may be able to file a whistleblower lawsuit (also known as a qui tam lawsuit) against your employer on behalf of the government.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual 3M Ear Plug lawsuit or military hearing loss class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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Join a Free 3M Ear Plug Lawsuit Investigation

If you believe that you have witnessed fraud committed against the government, you may have a legal claim. Whistleblowers can only join this investigation if they are reporting fraud against the government, meaning that the government must be the victim, and that the alleged fraud should be a substantial loss of money.

See if you qualify to pursue compensation and join a whistleblower lawsuit investigation by submitting your information for a free case evaluation.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case.

PLEASE NOTE: If you want to participate in this investigation, it is imperative that you reply to the law firm if they call or email you. Failing to do so may result in you not getting signed up as a client or getting you dropped as a client.

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.