Skip to main contentYou’re not alone in that concern! The short answer is that taking legal action will not impact your VA benefits. VA benefits are only impacted if you make a claim against the government for causing a disability. This potential case is working to hold 3M accountable, not the United States, so your benefits would not be affected.
We’re aware that military service members and veterans are disproportionately targeted for fraudulent activity. It’s absolutely unacceptable that anyone would try to take advantage of the very people working selflessly to protect all of us, particularly in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. A Case for Women will never ask you for any financial information. If we’re able to connect you with a law firm to represent you for military-related hearing loss, you’ll never pay them anything out of your own pocket. If you receive an agreement from us to be paired with a firm, you do NOT need to provide your SSN. Eventually, the firm will need it to pull records to build your case, and to pay you any resulting compensation, but you can give it to them directly, when you feel comfortable doing so.
Protecting your information is of the utmost importance!
I know lawyers are not the most loved group of people out there. But these are plaintiff attorneys, they represent individuals who were hurt by powerful corporations and other big groups that individuals might not be able to go up against without an attorney on their side. They front all the money and are only ever compensated by a percentage of what they win or settle for you, and only if they win or settle for you. Sometimes people do need an attorney to help them stand up and say what happened is not ok!
In 2018 the DOJ filed suit against the manufacturers of faulty earplugs, and 3M agreed to pay $9.1 million, but none of that money went to the service members directly impacted by the earplugs. This opened the door in early 2019 for individual/MDL suits to take place so military members could seek potential individual compensation. Even though it seems like a long time, potential cases are still in their early stages and taking legal action can be a slow process, sometimes taking 1-2 years to see results. However, by taking legal action and joining your voice with that of other impacted service members, you will help make sure that the protective gear provided to the armed forces truly protects them!
A hearing or tinnitus-related injury can be debilitating, even if it may not seem as obvious or severe as other injuries you may have experienced or seen. Most importantly, it’s an injury that could have been avoided if 3M had done their job right.
It’s not your job to prove anything. That is your attorney’s job. Certain hearing issues have been linked to the use of faulty 3M earplugs; your attorney will look at your applicable medical records, the timeline of military service, and other factors to determine if you have a case.
