Thousands of veterans across the United States have filed lawsuits against 3M regarding defective earplugs issued between 2003 and 2015. These veterans have come forward with claims that the earplugs failed to protect them, leading to hearing loss, tinnitus, and other hearing impairments. They are currently waiting for settlements from the 3M earplug lawsuit.
What is the Current Status of the 3M Earplug Lawsuit Settlement?
On August 29, 2023, 3M agreed to pay $6.01 billion to settle 3M earplug lawsuits. It is anticipated that about 240,000 people will be qualified for the 3M lawsuit settlement.
The plaintiffs will have until roughly the end of February 2024 to choose whether to accept the 3m earplug lawsuit settlements or give it up to request a Trial.
Many will have questions like the 3M earplug lawsuit payout date, the 3M settlement payout date, and when will the 3M lawsuit be settled? The 3M earplug lawsuit individual settlement amounts will be paid out from 2023 to 2029.
The allocation master is deciding the 3M earplug lawsuit settlement amounts based on two options: expedited pay and full evaluation.
The expedited pay option will be quicker and require less paperwork. On December 26, 3M contributed $250 million to the Qualified Settlement Fund. It is expected that this will lead to 25,000 to 30,000 claimants dismissing their lawsuits.
The court has removed over 22,000 claims from its records because they didn’t follow court orders, helping to focus on the group of claimants identified for resolution.
The full evaluation option will pay more based on the damage and other criteria. This will take longer to process payments.
The reference date of the settlement process was September 12, 2023. The Case Management Order 60 requires that all lawyers representing eligible claimants and all eligible claimants representing themselves submit specific information to the court by September 12th, 2023.
3M earplug lawsuit average payout eligible claimants must submit their registration forms to the court within four months from the reference date, which is when the settlement administrator needs declarations from CAE counsel identifying eligible claimants.
Before the four-month deadline, the settlement administrator will send two notices to the eligible claimants. If needed, the parties involved in the 3M earplug settlement can agree to extend this deadline. The final date to register will be 60 days after this initial four-month period.
How much is the 3M earplug lawsuit payout per person? Let’s expect a 3M earplug lawsuit average payout between $25,000 and $2,000,000. This was just an estimation by many lawyers. Amounts for medical costs, missed income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and a lower quality of life may all be covered by compensation.
The court has released important dates of initial and final registrations:
December 20, 2023 – MSA III Initial Registration Date
December 20, 2023 is the initial registration date for register under the third phase of a Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). The plaintiff must begin registering or taking necessary actions as outlined in phase I of the MSA. This Master Settlement Agreement is often related to large settlements or class action lawsuits.
January 25th, 2024 – MSA I Initial Registration Date
The initial Registration Date for MSA Phase I is scheduled on January 25, 2024 by the court order.
February 20th, 2024 – MSA III Final Registration Date
The final registration date for the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) III in relation to the 3M earplug lawsuit is February 20th, 2024.
March 25, 2024 – MSA I Final Registration Date
The 3m earplug lawsuit Final Registration Date for master settlement arrangement phase I is scheduled on March 25, 2024. This implies the individuals involved in the lawsuit must complete their registration by that time, to be eligible for settlement in this phase I of the legal process.
3M Earplug Lawsuit Trial Updates and verdicts
Bellwether trials frequently predict the probable results of subsequent litigation. In these cases, compensation is determined by the particular circumstances of the plaintiff.
First Bellwether Trial
In the initial bellwether trial of the multidistrict litigation concerning 3M’s earplugs, a Florida jury delivered a $7.1 million verdict on April 30, 2021. The plaintiffs are Stephen Hacker, Lewis Keefer, and Luke Estes. Each of the three veterans received $2.1 million in punitive damages.
Additionally, one plaintiff was awarded $160,000 for pain and suffering, while the other two received $305,500 and $320,000 for medical costs, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
Second Bellwether Trial
The second bellwether trial, involving Dustin McCombs, began on May 17, 2021, in Pensacola and was presided over by Judge Rogers. Dustin served in the Army from 2008 to 2011 but wasn’t often exposed to loud noises or combat. His hearing loss reportedly occurred years after his military service. The trial lasted two weeks, and the verdict favored the defense.
Third Bellwether Trial
In the third bellwether trial, involving Army veteran Lloyd Baker, the jury awarded him $1.7 million for his hearing loss-related suffering. However, they also determined that Baker was 38% responsible for his hearing loss, reducing his compensation to $1.1 million.
Fourth Bellwether Trial
In the fourth trial, featuring Brandon Adkins, the jury awarded him $8.2 million solely for mental distress caused by his tinnitus and hearing loss, after he successfully proved all his claims against 3M.
Fifth Bellwether Trial
The fifth trial involved Michelle Blum, and the jury decided in favor of 3M. This trial started on October 18, 2021 and took place over two weeks.
Sixth Bellwether Trial
A plaintiff named Joseph Palanki’s, also ended with a verdict favoring 3M. This trial was held in Sarasota by Judge Liles C. Burke from Alabama.
Seventh Bellwether Trial
In the seventh bellwether trial over Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2, Guillermo Camarillorazo won the case with a verdict of $13 million. The award included approximately $800,000 in compensatory damages and $12.25 million in punitive damages.
Eighth Bellwether Trial
The case of Theodore Finley v. 3M Co. (7:20-cv-170) was the eighth bellwether trial in federal court in Tallahassee, which began on November 28, 2021. He was awarded a verdict of $22.5 million. The award included $15,000,000 for punitive damages and $6,000,000 and $1,500,000 for past and future pain and suffering.
Nineth Bellwether Trial
The ninth bellwether case, which began on December 2021, involved Carlos Montero and was a defense verdict. He has not shown sufficient evidence to support the defense’s case against 3M’s earplugs, and the jury returned a verdict in favor of 3M.
Tenth Bellwether Trial
Carter Stelling, the tenth bellwether plaintiff, has seen a defense verdict.
Eleventh Bellwether Trial
The eleventh bellwether trial included two veterans, namely Ronald Sloan and William Wayman, who were awarded $110 million by a federal jury in Pensacola, Florida. They claimed that 3M’s Combat Arms earplugs, Version 2, caused them to have hearing loss and tinnitus. The verdict involves $40 million in punitive damages and $15 million in compensatory damages for both Sloan and Wayman.
Twelfth Bellwether Trial
In the twelfth bellwether trial, Steven Wilkerson was awarded $8 million in compensatory damages.
Thirteenth Bellwether Trial
Luke Vilsmeyer, the thirteenth bellwether trial plaintiff, was awarded $50 million in compensatory damages by the jury.
Fourteenth Bellwether Trial
Denise Kelly’s trial was different from other cases due to her lack of war experiences and her limited exposure to loud noises. The trial ended on April 8, 2022, with a defense verdict.
Fifteenth Bellwether Trial
In the 15th bellwether trial of the 3M earplug litigation, U.S. Army veteran Jonathan Vaughn claimed that 3M’s Combat Arms earplugs caused his hearing damage. The trial was overseen by Judge Steven Grimberg in Pensacola, Florida. The jury, after a short deliberation, upheld all of Vaughn’s claims, including that 3M fraudulently concealed the earplugs’ defects. Vaughn was awarded $2.2 million in compensatory damages solely for “pain and suffering,” with no punitive damages.
Sixteenth Bellwether Trial
The 16th and final bellwether trial in the 3M earplugs MDL involved veteran James Beal, who alleged hearing loss and tinnitus due to defective earplugs. The trial started on May 9, 2022, in Pensacola, Florida, and concluded with the jury finding in favor of Beal, awarding him $5 million in compensatory damages and $72.5 million in punitive damages against 3M. This verdict, totaling $77.5 million, surpasses previous awards and led to a 3% drop in 3M’s stock, potentially costing the company an extra $3 billion.
This marked the highest monetary award granted to an individual bellwether plaintiff across all previous trials.
To conclude,
The 3M Combat Arms Earplug products liability case is the largest mass tort multidistrict case in U.S. history, with almost 240,000 veterans suing the company. With this $6.01 million settlement, all legal disputes and claims pertaining to the usage of Combat Arms Earplugs against defendant 3M and its subsidiaries are meant to be completely resolved.
Stay tuned for more 3M earplug lawsuit settlement updates!!!
