You don’t know how much you rely on your ears until you have problems with them. If you served in Iraq or Afghanistan, you knew there were risks. Still, you expected to have the best equipment available to help reduce risks. The last thing you expected was that someone would give you equipment that did not do its job.

A few weeks ago, documents from the class action lawsuit against 3M who made the faulty earplugs were unsealed by a Florida judge. They should help if you wish to bring a claim. You would not be alone; approximately 140,000 veterans suffered due to these faulty earplugs.

Ear damage comes in three main forms:

• Hearing loss: Good hearing is vital for so many reasons. You use it to cross the street or drive your car safely. You use it to communicate with your colleagues or clients. You need it to hear your newborn daughter laughing.
• Tinnitus: The constant noise in your ear can be enough to drive you insane. Literally, in some cases — tinnitus can lead to mental health issues and psychological problems. Even if you do not suffer as badly, it can affect your ability to hear other people and things.
• Loss of balance: This can affect your everyday life. Maybe you can no longer ride a bicycle; perhaps you cannot balance on a ladder as your decorating job requires.

It is not too late to bring a claim if you suffered hearing loss due to using 3M earplugs. Our Birmingham, Alabama, attorneys have experience bringing these types of mass tort claims.