"The US industrial giant 3M supplied the Ministry of Defence (MoD) with the lightweight combat earplugs for use while training and on active service in Afghanistan and other countries. In 2023, the company agreed to pay out $6bn (4.5bn) to settle similar claims from 240,000 US servicemen and women. 3M said that was not an admission of liability, its product worked effectively if used properly and it was prepared to defend itself in the English courts."
"Mr Watson, 38, lost both legs and an arm in an explosion while on patrol in Helmand Province in May 2010, leading to his immediate medical discharge from the Army. He has since won five medals at the Invictus Games and now works as a motivational speaker and for veterans' charities. He says he first noticed something was wrong with his hearing around 18 months ago."
Thousands of British military personnel have started legal action claiming that lightweight reversible 3M combat earplugs supplied to the Ministry of Defence caused tinnitus, hearing damage and deafness. The earplugs were used while training and on active service in Afghanistan and other countries between 2003 and at least 2015, when a new model replaced them. 3M previously agreed a $6bn settlement of similar US claims in 2023 but said that was not an admission of liability and that the product works if used properly. Design and use issues form the center of the legal dispute.
Read at www.bbc.com
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