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Soldiers who say they were sent into battle without protection against the sound of explosions and gunfire have joined a group action UK lawsuit over the mental and physical health problems they have incurred.
An estimated 300,000 UK Armed Forces men and women used US PPE firm 3M’s Combat Arms Earplugs V2 between 2003 and 2023.
Among them was Lance Bombardier Carol Timone, 33, a mother-of-two from Darlington, County Durham. She used the earplugs while serving in the British Army between 2008 and 2014, including in Afghanistan in 2012.
“I wore them on [firing] range days. I wore them when I was in The King’s Troop on ceremonial duties and when I was deployed in Afghanistan, so throughout my career,” Timone told The i Paper.
The former soldier now suffers from life-changing hearing damage and said she was “sickened” to learn that she and her colleagues were supplied with faulty combat earplugs.
In 2023, 3M set aside $6.1bn to settle lawsuits from American military personnel after a US court ruled its earplugs were defective. A UK law firm, KP Law, is now bringing a “no win, no fee” group action claim against 3M on behalf of affected British troops.
They argue that the soldiers believed their hearing was being protected – but it wasn’t. As a result, many of these men and women, some still serving, suffered life-changing hearing loss and hearing damage like tinnitus, and related issues including stress, anxiety and depression.
‘I cannot hear my children talking to me’
Timone first noticed something was wrong with her hearing several years ago and eventually went for a hearing test, which she failed. The tinnitus then started, which progressed to become pulsating and constant.
“The medics said, as my hearing has been impacted for quite some time, it’s now started to pick up on my heartbeat. So I can hear my heartbeat over everything, because I can’t hear properly,” Timone said.
“Yesterday I was sat having tea with my family, my daughter was sat at my right-hand side and my husband had to repeatedly tell me that she was talking to me, but I just couldn’t hear. I had to tell her how sorry I was, that I wasn’t ignoring her. It makes me feel awful.
“My husband often says something and I can’t hear him. In the car if I’m driving, everyone has to be quiet so I can hear the sat-nav. Not hearing people, especially at work, can knock your confidence.”
Timone is one of an estimated 300,000 UK armed forces men and women who used 3M’s Combat Arms Earplugs V2 supplied between 2003 and 2023 (Photo: supplied) Doctors have said there is not much they can do to help Timone other than sound therapy, which can take years to rectify the issue without any guarantee that it will work.
Her mental health has also been impacted “massively” due to the hearing loss, she said. “When I exercise and my heart rate starts to increase, the louder it is in my ear, and it’s all I can hear. The same when I’m in bed. It means I just can’t switch off or get a full night’s sleep. When you’re sleep deprived, that has a massive knock-on effect on your life.”
Calls for independent inquiry into ‘scandal’
Earlier this week, Neil Shastri-Hurst, Tory MP for Solihull West & Shirley, demanded an independent public inquiry into the 3M earplugs scandal. At defence questions in the House of Commons, he asked Veterans Minister Alistair Carns to use his “arts of persuasion” on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to investigate “the extent” of the problem.
“For many veterans, hearing loss is one of the hidden scars of service. In a number of cases [there have been issues] with defective 3M hearing equipment,” Shrastri-Hurst, told the Commons.
“Will the Minister use their arts of persuasion on the Prime Minister to have an independent inquiry to see the extent of this, whether any other equipment is involved and how we can prevent it happening again?”
Carns replied: “Anyone with hearing loss from equipment can absolutely apply for compensation through the war pension scheme or the armed forces compensation scheme. Broader work is happening on those specific bits of capability outside this place.”
Ultimately, Timone wants 3M to take accountability of their actions and an apology for supplying the faulty kit to British armed forces.
“We were all led to believe the earplugs worked, yet it has impacted the lives of everyone who used them,” she said. “It’s disgusting how many veterans now suffer with hearing problems. It sickens me how vets have been failed.”
Tom Longstaff, partner and head of product liability at KP Law, said: “This is another example of a large corporate taking advantage of the British public, this time at the expense of members of the Armed Forces. It is only right that the men and women whose lives have been impacted receive justice and compensation.”
3M were approached for comment.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We take the health and wellbeing of our personnel seriously and always look at how we can reduce noise levels in their working environment. This is alongside providing training, protective equipment and regular hearing tests to detect any early signs of hearing loss, so action can be taken if necessary.
“The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme provides no-fault compensation to Service Personnel and veterans for injuries, illness and death caused by service.”
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