In what can be seen as a victory for our servicemen and women who have suffered hearing complications due to 3M’s defective earplugs, a Florida federal judge has denied 3M’s bid requesting that the government produce depositions and discovery related to 3M’s combat earplugs, finding that the request came too late and the discovery requests themselves were not appropriate.

The discovery requests totaled 70 depositions consisting of 46 medical professionals and 24 non-treating service members part of the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. These requests were made less than a month before the April 1^st deadline. In response, Judge Gary R. Jones stated that “accomplishing that of course is impossible. In addition, the Judge indicated

that deposing more individuals that work at military installations who did not have particular knowledge regarding the 3M combat earplugs was not necessarily needed.

Why The Ruling Matters

With over 280,000 service members currently involved in the multidistrict litigation due to hearing damage allegedly caused by 3M’s combat earplugs, this is another positive step for those who may be eligible to receive compensation. There are nearly 1,000 cases that were ordered to be prepared for trial this year alone. So far, eight bellwether trials have yielded almost $200 million for the plaintiffs.

There is Still Time to File a Claim

If you suffer from tinnitus and/or hearing loss, were a Department of Defense contractor, served in the United States military or in the reserves between 2003 and 2015, and used the dual-ended Combat Arms Earplug (CAEv2) during service, you may be entitled to compensation.

Our team at Oppenheim Law recognizes the emotional burden these impairments can have on individuals and their lives. That is why our firm provides a team of professionals committed to zealously represent our clients.

Please feel free to contact us at (954) 324-2240 so we may evaluate your legal rights so you can obtain the compensation to which you are entitled.