WacoTrib By TOMMY WITHERSPOON 2/18/2019
More than 100 military veterans have filed federal lawsuits in Waco against the Minnesota-based 3M Co., alleging the corporate giant provided earplugs to the military that it knew were defective.
The most recent suit was filed last week on behalf of Joshua K. Smith, an Army sergeant from Marlin who served from 2007 to 2015, including duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is seeking damages for significant hearing loss and other medical issues related to his military service while wearing what he alleges were defective Combat Arms earplugs provided by 3M.
Smith is represented by Houston attorney Mo Aziz and Waco attorney Robert Stem. Smith is among 101 of Aziz’s clients who have filed similar lawsuits recently against 3M in Waco’s U.S. District Court. Aziz said he represents almost 1,000 veterans whose suits could be filed soon.
“Unfortunately, too often our service members are taken advantage of by individuals and entities that care more about making money than making a safe and reliable product,†Stem said Monday. “Our goal is to right this injustice so that it never happens again.â€
Aziz expects tens of thousands of veterans to file similar lawsuits around the country. He said the Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation has set a March 28 hearing in Washington, D.C., to determine if the suits will be consolidated in one federal district for pretrial proceedings and discovery matters. Groups have asked that the lawsuits be consolidated and moved to Minnesota, California, Louisiana and other locations, Aziz said.
More:
https://www.wacotrib.com/news/courts_and_trials/veterans-flood-waco-federal-court-with-lawsuits-over-m-earplugs/article_4e7276be-8a92-5611-8ffb-ecc85ead9033.html
