3M Faces Massive Settlement Over Faulty Military Earplugs, Report Reveals

3M has tentatively agreed to pay over $5.5 billion over five years to settle lawsuits from more than 230,000 military service members or veterans who claimed they suffered hearing loss or tinnitus from using defective earplugs sold to the U.S. military. The settlement would end a years-long legal dispute and comes after 3M's subsidiary, Aearo, filed for bankruptcy protection. 3M has maintained that the earplugs are not faulty if worn correctly and that it worked closely with the military on their design.