Veterans Allege 3M Military Earplugs Caused Significant Hearing Loss

In an Oct. 29, 2019 Fox 13 News Tampa Bay article, purple heart recipient Joseph Simon spoke of hearing loss he has experienced secondary to the use of 3M military earplugs during two U.S. Army deployments to Afghanistan. Simon decided to enlist as early as eighth grade when he witnessed the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

When he did so, Simon claims his combat troop would often get ambushed and they would end up in surprise firefights which could be very loud. Eventually, one of the vehicles he was in engaged with an improvised explosive device (IED) and it detonated. The event was catastrophic and caused significant injuries leading to the award of the purple heart. He claims there is one injury that is lasting and related to defective 3M military earplugs sold to the government—a lack of hearing acuity reminiscent of someone several decades older.

A $9 Million Verdict

According to a July 26, 2018 report posted on Military Times.com, the 3M Company which is headquartered in the State of Minnesota sold its Dual-ended Combat Arms Military Earplugs Version 2 to the Defense Logistics Agency—the federal entity responsible for military contract procurement—bypassing any revelations concerning defects reducing their effectiveness for combat personnel.

In the report, it was indicated the earplugs would allow for loosening over time due to how short they were. This effect would allow noise cancellation to be lessened in certain people imperceptibly. Through the False Claims Act, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) brought allegations against 3M of trying to profit off the military and the backs of its hard-working and brave veterans.

The DOJ claimed that 3M and its predecessor were aware of the faulty properties of the earplugs but continued to pawn those off on the armed forces without disclosure. The allegations were resolved with an offered $9.1 million settlement. The settlement was arrived at through the efforts of a whistleblower who drew the DOJ’s attention to the defects and the awareness of the manufacturer of them. This person will receive a portion of recovered funds amounting to nearly $2 million.

Purple Heart Recipient’s Daily Experience with Tinnitus

Simon, like hundreds of veterans who did tours of service in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2003 and 2015, experiences a phenomenon known as tinnitus. According to the Mayo Clinic, tinnitus is a number of phantom sounds that are very real to the hearer and are experienced in the absence of real sound. The phantom sounds can consist of ringing, buzzing, hissing, or humming. Tinnitus can be a symptom of a lot of things; it can come and go, or be a constant stream of sensation interfering with a person’s concentration.

It is most often associated with hearing loss associated with increased age or ear injury. In rare situations, it can be caused by an issue with the circulatory system. There are a few treatments for tinnitus, one of which is masking the noise to trick the brain’s attentive powers.