Many veterans and active duty military service members may be at an increased risk of experiencing noise-induced hearing loss. In addition to the extremely loud noises that service members may be exposed to, some veterans claim that the military earplugs distributed to service members between 2003 and 2015 were defective and may have exposed thousands of military members to dangerous noise levels.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss

Noise-induced hearing loss is hearing loss caused by exposure to loud sounds at close range. Exposure to sounds over 140 decibels may cause immediate and permanent hearing loss.

Hair cells within the ear are responsible for aiding with hearing. When these hair cells are damaged by exposure to noises above 140 decibels, they cannot regenerate.

Hearing loss is believed to be the most common injury for veterans and active duty service members, affecting more people than PTSD or traumatic injuries. There may be many causes for hearing loss experienced by military service members, including loud noises, like gunfire, and defective earplugs.

Causes for Hearing Loss

Military service members may be at risk of experiencing noise-induced hearing loss from a variety of causes. Firearms, bombs, aircraft, tanks, and heavy equipment may all produce noises above the level considered to be safe for exposure.

In addition to these causes for hearing loss, military members who served between 2003 and 2015 may have also been exposed to hearing loss due to allegedly defective earplugs, specifically Combat Arms Earplugs.

Between 2003 and 2015, the military issued service members earplugs made by 3M. However, due to a design flaw, these earplugs were too short to be properly inserted into users’ ears. This resulted in the earplugs becoming loose without the knowledge of the users, exposing service members to potential hearing loss. Many service members who used these earplugs may have believed they were protected from hearing loss until they began to show symptoms of the condition.

Thousands of military service members may have been affected by this defect. Indeed, the military’s contract with 3M dates back to 2006, and involves approximately 15,000 earplug packages (50 pairs in each package) annually. 3M discontinued the product in 2015.

Now, more and more veterans are coming forward with claims that they were also issued these earplugs during their service. Veterans claim that they have since been affected by hearing loss, tinnitus, or both. While hearing loss is commonly associated with aging, these veterans are in many cases extremely young to presenting hearing loss symptoms naturally.

Hearing Loss Symptoms

Hearing loss symptoms may include difficulty understanding words, noises and speech sounding muffled or unclear, needing to turn up the television or radio, asking others to speak more loudly, difficulty hearing consonants, and difficulty distinguishing sounds in a crowd. In addition to hearing loss, many victims who were harmed by 3M earplugs may also suffer from tinnitus, or a constant ringing or buzzing sound in the ears.

Hearing loss may also lead to anxiety, embarrassment, depression, social isolation, and other negative consequences.

Filing a 3M Earplugs Hearing Loss Lawsuit

Although hundreds of thousands of veterans have filed disability claims related to hearing loss, many service members have had these applications denied. If you have suffered from hearing loss and were an active service member any time between 2003 and 2015, you may have been issued defective earplugs and may be entitled to pursue compensation. Victims of military hearing loss may be eligible to hire an attorney to review their case and aid them in filing a class action lawsuit against 3M under the False Claims Act (FCA).

Generally, FCA violations are things like medical professionals filing fraudulent claims to get Medicare or Medicaid money. However, the FCA doesn’t just cover healthcare fraud, and in fact applies to all government contractors attempting to defraud the government. Military contracting is a common source of FCA claims.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially while dealing with an issue like hearing loss, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these issues, but it can at least offer some financial compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and more.