The first wave of payments from the landmark $6.01 billion 3M Combat Arms Earplug settlement is now being distributed, with tens of thousands of veterans and active-duty service members beginning to receive compensation for hearing loss and tinnitus caused by the defective earplugs.
The settlement, finalized in August 2023, resolved approximately 260,000 lawsuits in the largest multidistrict litigation in US history — surpassing even the Roundup cases. Distribution has been phased due to the enormous volume of claims.
How Payments Are Being Distributed
The settlement administrator, Epiq Class Action & Claims Solutions, is processing claims in batches based on when they were filed and their tier classification. Claims were organized into tiers based on severity:
- Tier 1 (Severe hearing loss/deafness): Expected payments of $100,000–$350,000+
- Tier 2 (Significant hearing loss): Expected payments of $25,000–$100,000
- Tier 3 (Tinnitus only): Expected payments of $5,000–$25,000
How to Check Your Status
If you registered a claim, log in to the settlement portal at the administrator’s website using your claim ID. If you do not have your claim ID, contact your attorney of record. Claimants who are unrepresented can call the settlement hotline.
Who Is Still Eligible
The deadline to file new claims has passed for most claimants. However, veterans who recently received a VA disability rating for hearing loss or tinnitus connected to service between 2003–2015 — the years the defective earplugs were in use — should consult an attorney immediately, as limited options may still exist.
What 3M Admitted
3M and its subsidiary Aearo Technologies admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement but agreed to pay after evidence showed the company knew the dual-ended earplugs were too short to fit properly in many ear canals and that the company had manipulated military test data.