The 3M Combat Arms Earplug (CAEv2) MDL was the largest mass tort in U.S. history by claim count, with approximately 250,000+ claims filed against 3M Company and its Aearo Technologies subsidiary alleging that the dual-ended earplugs issued to U.S. military personnel from approximately 2003 through 2015 were defectively designed and failed to provide adequate hearing protection.
3M reached a global settlement of over $6 billion in 2023, with payouts structured based on injury severity, length of service, and other factors. Settlement administration is ongoing.
Residual qualification — unsigned claimants who haven't yet entered the settlement framework — continues at lower volume. Some firms still run light-cadence flights to capture the remaining eligible veterans who haven't yet retained counsel.
Highfloor supports light-cadence CAEv2 flights for firms still active in the docket. Bar TV in veteran-population corridors plus search-keyword spend supports the residual qualification window.
- Light flight cadence — settlement is largely complete
- Bar TV in veteran-population concentration corridors
- Search-keyword spend on CAEv2-specific terms
- Spanish-language creative for substantial Latino veteran population
- April 2018 — first CAEv2 lawsuits filed
- 2019–2022 — extensive bellwether trials with mixed verdict outcomes
- August 2023 — global $6B+ settlement announced
- 2023–2025 — settlement administration and payouts
- Same veteran-heavy metros as Camp Lejeune
- Substantial overlap with CLJA qualification population