3M Faces Another Loss with over $77 Million Verdict in Favor of Army Veteran, James Beal
Army Veteran, James Beal, had the last scheduled bellwether trial for 3M’s defective earplugs. The $77.5 million award made up of $5 million in compensatory damages and $72.5 million in punitive damages now ranks as the largest compensatory and punitive verdict against 3M since the bellwether trials began about 15 months ago. At the end of March, Messa & Associates obtained the largest compensatory only verdict of $50 Million, for Army Veteran, Luke ViIsmeyer.
Beal served in the United States Army and was provided 3M Combat Arms earplugs as a form of hearing protection. The earplugs are proven to be defective and caused Beal among hundreds of thousands of other Veterans to suffer from hearing loss and tinnitus, among other long-term symptoms.
The jury found that all of the plaintiff’s claims were proven true which is what landed him the record verdict.
This was the sixteenth and final bellwether trial for 3M earplugs, but there will be many more trials to come. The current total for compensatory damages for plaintiffs is $113,646,895 while punitive damages is up to $186,045,925.
While 3M believes that not all of the 291,000 plaintiffs with pending cases are valid, this verdict in conjunction with the others will put additional pressure on 3M to move this case towards a conclusion.
Messa & Associates, P.C represents individuals and their families in complex personal injury matters, including catastrophic injury, medical malpractice, product liability, motor vehicle accidents, fires, and explosions. We are based in Philadelphia and have locations throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Please contact the personal injury lawyers of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll-free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.