3M will pay $6.01 billion to settle lawsuits brought about by U.S. military veterans and other service members who said they suffered hearing loss from using the company’s earplugs.
The suit, according to Reuters, became the largest mass tort litigation in U.S. history. 3M attempted to move the lawsuits into bankruptcy court to limit its liability, but failed.
However, 3M reportedly said it would not admit liability, and that its earplugs are “safe and effective when used properly.”
The court case centers around the Combat Arms earplugs, which are made by Aearo Technologies, which 3M acquired in 2008. The earplugs were primarily used by military and service members in the Middle East from 2003 to 2015.
As a result of the lawsuit, 3M will reportedly pay that $6.01 billion between this year and 2029, with $1 billion of it being in the form of 3M stock.
“This historic agreement represents a tremendous victory for the thousands of men and women who bravely served our country and returned home with life-altering hearing injuries,” the attorneys representing the plaintiffs said, according to Reuters.
