A tiny business for 3M foam earplugs for the U.S. military—threatens to become a major liability for the manufacturing giant.
More than 100,000 U.S. military veterans have filed lawsuits against Minnesota-based 3M over hearing damage linked to what they claim are defects in the company’s military-grade earplugs. The company faces billions of dollars in potential costs from legal settlements or trials after soldiers alleged they returned from war with hearing damage due to the earplugs, which the government bought for around $7.63 a pair.