Adam Stone, a former Royal Marine from Somerset, has shared his struggle with severe hearing loss that has dramatically affected his daily life. The 44-year-old, who served from 2003 to 2012 including a tour in Iraq, now relies on a hearing aid for his left ear and suffers from persistent tinnitus. He believes his condition was caused by defective Combat Arms Earplugs supplied by 3M during his service.
Since leaving the military, Stone has dealt with the challenges of hearing impairment — from sleepless nights due to tinnitus to difficulties following conversations in noisy environments. “Your confidence takes a hit after years of not being able to hear properly, constantly asking people to repeat themselves,” he explained. “Sometimes, I just pretend to hear and walk away, unaware of what was said.”
3M, the American manufacturer of personal protective equipment, provided approximately 400,000 sets of Combat Arms Earplugs to the UK Ministry of Defence between 2003 and 2023. The company has previously agreed to a $6 billion settlement for similar lawsuits filed by US veterans, though it denies liability and maintains the earplugs were safe if used correctly.
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Stone is among the first in the UK to join a group legal action led by KP Law, the firm representing veterans and military personnel who allege that defective earplugs caused hearing damage including tinnitus, hearing loss, and associated mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
Tom Longstaff, head of product liability at KP Law, emphasized the importance of justice for affected service members: “It’s only right that those whose lives have been impacted seek fair compensation.”
Any UK military personnel experiencing hearing damage believed to be linked to the Combat Arms Earplugs may join the no win, no fee group lawsuit. Prior compensation from the Ministry of Defence does not exclude individuals from participating.
Veterans can register their interest for the claim at www.3mclaims.co.uk.
The Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings, while 3M has been approached for a response.