More than 30,000 military veterans and service members have formally agreed to 3M’s settlement over allegedly faulty earplugs, prompting 3M to issue $253 million in payments earlier than expected.
The payments will be made by the end of the month to several thousand plaintiffs who were preparing to go to trial as the settlement was drafted and “have now agreed to participate in the settlement and release their claims,” 3M said in a news release this week.
3M previously made $250 million in initial payments to more than 30,000 claimants at the end of December.
The milestone is significant because a nearly unanimous level of acceptance is needed from the 276,000 claimants in order for the $6 billion settlement, announced last summer, to be valid.
“We are pleased with 3M’s decision to move up this payment and appreciate its commitment to the resolution of these claims,” an attorney for the plaintiffs, Bryan Aylstock, said Tuesday. “So far, support for the settlement has been overwhelming and we expect to meet and indeed exceed the 98% participation threshold provided for in the settlement agreement in the coming weeks.”
The Maplewood, Minnesota-based company announced the settlement in August after nearly five years of litigation amassed into one of the largest mass torts in U.S. history.
More than a quarter-million veterans and active service members blamed hearing damage on Combat Arms earplugs, made by 3M subsidiary…
