What Is the 3M Lawsuit?
The 3M lawsuit is the federal multidistrict litigation against 3M Company over its Combat Arms earplugs, formally captioned In re: 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2885. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the cases in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida on April 3, 2019, assigning them to Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
At the time of centralization, the litigation consisted of eight actions pending in four districts plus 635 related federal actions filed in 33 more districts. The case grew into the largest mass tort in U.S. history by case volume, with 391,283 total cases eventually filed and resolved before the MDL's termination.
3M Company is the sole named defendant. 3M acquired Aearo Technologies, the earplugs' original manufacturer, in 2008 and inherited the liability described below. 3M has denied wrongdoing throughout the litigation while agreeing to the settlement described on this page.
“All actions involve common factual questions arising out of allegations that defendants' Combat Arms earplugs were defective, causing plaintiffs to develop hearing loss and/or tinnitus. Issues concerning the design, testing, sale, and marketing of the Combat Arms earplugs are common to all actions.”
Source: United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, In re: 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2885, Transfer Order, Document 343 (April 3, 2019)
Why Are People Filing 3M Lawsuits?
People filed 3M lawsuits because 3M's dual-ended Combat Arms Version 2 earplugs, issued to millions of U.S. service members from 2003 to 2015, are alleged to have been defectively designed and inadequately tested for the hearing protection the military relied on them to provide.
The complaints allege the earplugs' stems were too short for some users to insert fully into the ear canal, which could let the plug loosen imperceptibly during wear and let damaging noise reach the ear without the wearer realizing the seal had failed. Plaintiffs further allege 3M and Aearo Technologies knew about testing that raised these concerns and failed to adequately warn the military or individual service members. 3M disputes these allegations and has not been found liable on the merits.
What Injuries Are Included in the 3M Lawsuit?
The 3M lawsuit centers on two alleged hearing injuries from the same earplugs, each defined in plain language below. 3M has not been found liable for either injury and has denied wrongdoing throughout the litigation.
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a partial or total reduction in the ability to hear sound in one or both ears, ranging from mild difficulty following conversation to profound deafness.
Plaintiffs allege that a defectively short or loose-fitting Combat Arms earplug failed to block hazardous noise, such as gunfire or explosions, at the level service members expected, resulting in measurable hearing loss documented in military and veterans' medical records.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the ongoing perception of ringing, buzzing, hissing, or other noise in the ears or head without any external sound source, and it can become a permanent condition once it develops.
Plaintiffs allege that the same failure to block hazardous noise caused tinnitus, either alongside hearing loss or on its own, and that tinnitus has proven to be one of the most commonly claimed and most difficult to resolve injuries across the litigation's bellwether trials.
Who Qualifies for the 3M Lawsuit?
You may qualify if:
- You served in the U.S. military between 2003 and 2015 and were issued the dual-ended Combat Arms Version 2 (CAEv2) earplugs
- You developed hearing loss and/or tinnitus during or after that service that you attribute to using the earplugs
- You filed a claim and enrolled in the MDL's settlement program before its enrollment window closed
You may not qualify if:
- You were never issued or never used the CAEv2 dual-ended Combat Arms earplugs specifically, as opposed to a different hearing-protection product
- Your hearing loss or tinnitus is attributable only to causes unrelated to CAEv2 use, such as unrelated noise exposure or a pre-existing condition
- You did not file a claim before the settlement program's enrollment window closed, which is no longer accepting new participants as of this writing
This settlement program is closed to new enrollment as of this writing. This eligibility summary describes who historically qualified to join the litigation, not an open opportunity to file a new claim. A claimant who already enrolled and has questions about a pending payment should contact the settlement program directly rather than filing a new claim.
What Is the Current Status of the 3M Lawsuit?
The current status of the 3M lawsuit is a fully resolved federal MDL, not an active or pending case. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation's Northern District of Florida docket closed its last remaining cases by April 2026, and the settlement fund continues issuing payments to already-enrolled claimants on a schedule that runs through 2029.
In re: 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the earplug cases into MDL No. 2885 in April 2019 and assigned them to Judge M. Casey Rodgers in the Northern District of Florida. After a series of bellwether trials, 3M reached a global settlement in August 2023, and the MDL itself was formally terminated once its remaining docketed cases closed.
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida (Pensacola) |
| MDL Number | 2885 |
| Presiding Judge | Hon. M. Casey Rodgers |
| Centralization Order | April 3, 2019 |
| Global Settlement | August 29, 2023 ($6 billion) |
| MDL Terminated | September 22, 2025 |
| Total Cases Resolved | 391,283 |
3M structured the $6 billion settlement as $5 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M stock, paid out over several years rather than in a single lump sum, with payments scheduled to continue through 2029.
What Is the Average 3M Lawsuit Payout?
The settlement does not pay a single fixed amount per claimant; each enrolled claimant's payout is instead calculated under a point system tied to the severity and medical documentation of their hearing loss or tinnitus, so individual payouts vary widely. As of August 1, 2026, claimants had been paid a combined $3,037,003,440 out of the $6 billion settlement, a little more than half of the total.
This figure describes total money paid across the entire settlement to date, not a guaranteed individual payout. Claimants in the Expedited Payment Program and the bellwether-linked Wave Case tracks have largely already been paid; claimants in the points-based Deferred Payment Program, and those seeking additional money through the settlement's Extraordinary Injury Fund for exceptional cases, generally wait longer for their payments to be calculated and issued.
3M is not required to pay the full $6 billion at once; the settlement's own payment schedule runs through 2029, so an enrolled claimant, particularly one in the Deferred Payment Program, may still be waiting on some or all of their payment even though the underlying litigation itself has closed.
3M Lawsuit Updates and Case Status
Here is the current status of the 3M lawsuit, updated with new filings, rulings, and case-count reports as they're confirmed. MDL No. 2885, the 3M Combat Arms earplug litigation settled as of September 2026; the terms and timing are covered in the entries below. Every verified development is listed in the timeline below, in order.
3M Lawsuit Timeline
Settlement Fund Passes Half Paid Out
3M's earplug settlement fund had paid claimants a combined $3,037,003,440 as of August 1, 2026, a little more than half of the total $6 billion the company agreed to pay.
MDL No. 2885 Formally Terminated
The Northern District of Florida formally terminated MDL No. 2885 on September 22, 2025 after the litigation's remaining docketed cases were closed, ending the federal multidistrict proceeding itself while settlement payments continued separately.
3M Reaches $6 Billion Global Settlement
3M Company agreed on August 29, 2023 to pay $6 billion, split between $5 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M stock, to resolve the earplug claims pending in MDL No. 2885.
Bankruptcy Court Rejects Aearo's Chapter 11 Filing
A federal bankruptcy judge rejected 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies' Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in June 2023, allowing the underlying earplug litigation to continue in the Northern District of Florida rather than being resolved through the bankruptcy process.
3M Subsidiary Aearo Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
3M's subsidiary Aearo Technologies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August 2022 in an attempt to move the earplug claims out of the MDL, a move the presiding bankruptcy court ultimately did not allow to pause the litigation.
Two Veterans Awarded $110 Million Bellwether Verdict
A federal jury awarded two military veterans a combined $110 million in January 2022 in one of the earplug litigation's bellwether trials, among the largest verdicts of the litigation before 3M's global settlement.
Bellwether Trial Verdict Awards $8.2 Million
A federal jury awarded a veteran plaintiff $8.2 million in October 2021 in another of MDL No. 2885's bellwether trials, part of a run of plaintiff verdicts that preceded 3M's eventual settlement.
First Bellwether Trial Awards $7.1 Million
Three veteran plaintiffs won a combined $7.1 million in April 2021 in the first bellwether trial held in MDL No. 2885, the earplug litigation's opening test of how juries would view the underlying claims.
JPML Centralizes Cases Into MDL No. 2885
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the earplug cases into MDL No. 2885 on April 3, 2019, transferring eight actions from four districts plus related tag-along cases to Judge M. Casey Rodgers in the Northern District of Florida.
How to File a 3M Lawsuit
Filing a 3M lawsuit generally involves the 4 steps outlined below.
- Check whether you were part of the original MDL settlement program: The settlement covers service members who enrolled a claim before the program's enrollment window closed; this is not an open, ongoing opportunity to file a brand-new claim today.
- Confirm your enrolled claim's status through the settlement program: An already-enrolled claimant should check their claim status through the settlement program's own claims administrator rather than a law firm's marketing website.
- Gather your military and medical hearing records: Service dates, proof you were issued CAEv2 earplugs, and audiology records documenting hearing loss or tinnitus are the core documentation the point system uses to calculate a payout.
- Ask about the Extraordinary Injury Fund if your case is unusually severe: Claimants with exceptionally severe or well-documented injuries may qualify for additional compensation through the settlement's Extraordinary Injury Fund, reviewed separately from the standard point system.
3M Lawsuit is no longer accepting new claims. MDL No. 2885 was formally terminated on September 22, 2025 after all 391,283 filed cases were resolved, the settlement's enrollment window closed years ago, and most law firms have stopped accepting new Combat Arms earplug cases as of this writing.
What Did 3M Say About the Earplug Lawsuit?
3M has denied wrongdoing throughout the earplug litigation while agreeing to a $6 billion settlement to resolve nearly all of the claims against it. 3M was not found liable in a final merits ruling covering the full MDL, and disputes plaintiffs' characterization of its design, testing, and warning practices.
Before settling, 3M's subsidiary Aearo Technologies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2022 in an attempt to move the earplug claims out of the MDL and into the bankruptcy court, a move plaintiffs' attorneys characterized as an improper litigation tactic. A federal bankruptcy judge rejected that approach in 2023, and the underlying MDL litigation resumed in the Northern District of Florida rather than being paused or capped through the bankruptcy process. 3M went on to lose 10 of 16 bellwether trials before agreeing to the global settlement, with juries awarding more than $250 million combined across those verdicts.
Is the 3M Earplug Lawsuit the Same as Other 3M Lawsuits?
No. 3M faces more than one legally distinct lawsuit at a time, and "3M lawsuit" alone does not identify which one a source is discussing. Only the Combat Arms earplug MDL described on this page is the subject of this article; three other real, separate 3M cases turned up in research and are summarized here strictly for disambiguation.
3M is also a named defendant, alongside other manufacturers, in litigation over PFAS "forever chemicals" in firefighting foam (AFFF), a separate federal MDL involving groundwater contamination and cancer claims rather than hearing injuries. A separate 2024 class action, filed by plaintiffs Vicki Peterson and Paul Sadeghi in Minnesota federal court, alleges 3M and other chemical companies sold stain and soil repellents containing PFAS without disclosing the risk, a consumer product claim unrelated to either the earplugs or the firefighting foam. 3M's former medical-device unit is also separately named in litigation over the Bair Hugger surgical patient-warming system, which allegedly increased infection risk during joint-replacement surgery, another distinct MDL with no connection to the earplug case.
| Case | What It's About | Court/Process | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Arms Earplug Lawsuit (this page) | Hearing loss and tinnitus from allegedly defective military earplugs | MDL No. 2885, N.D. Fla. | Settled, MDL terminated September 2025 |
| AFFF Lawsuit | PFAS groundwater contamination and cancer claims from firefighting foam | MDL No. 2873, D.S.C. | Active, accepting new claims |
| 3M PFAS Repellent Class Action | Undisclosed PFAS in stain and soil repellents sold to carpet makers | Federal court, D. Minn. | Pending, no settlement reported |
| Bair Hugger Lawsuit | Alleged increased infection risk from a surgical patient-warming device | Separate MDL | Distinct litigation, no connection to earplug case |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 3M lawsuit about?
The 3M lawsuit is the federal litigation over the company's Combat Arms Version 2 earplugs, which plaintiffs allege were defectively designed and caused hearing loss and tinnitus in service members who wore them between 2003 and 2015.
Is the 3M earplug lawsuit a class action?
No, MDL No. 2885 is a multidistrict litigation, not a certified class action; each service member's claim proceeded as its own individual case that was coordinated for pretrial purposes and then resolved through 3M's $6 billion settlement program rather than a single class judgment.
Can I still file a 3M earplug lawsuit claim?
Generally no, because the settlement program's enrollment window has already closed and MDL No. 2885 was formally terminated on September 22, 2025, so most law firms are no longer accepting new Combat Arms earplug cases as of this writing.
How much is the average 3M lawsuit payout?
There is no single average payout figure 3M or the settlement program has published, because each claimant's amount is calculated under a point system tied to injury severity and documentation rather than a flat per-person number, though the fund had paid out more than $3 billion combined by August 2026.
Is the 3M earplug lawsuit the same as the 3M PFAS lawsuit?
No, the 3M earplug lawsuit and 3M's PFAS-related litigation, including the AFFF firefighting-foam MDL and a separate stain-repellent class action, are legally distinct cases involving different products, different injuries, and different courts.
When will 3M finish paying out the earplug lawsuit settlement?
3M structured its $6 billion settlement to be paid out gradually rather than all at once, with payments scheduled to continue through 2029, so some already-enrolled claimants, particularly those in the points-based Deferred Payment Program, are still waiting on their money.