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