3M to settle for $5.5bn over defective US military earplugs

The maker of Scotch tape and Post-it notes has tentatively agreed to pay out to resolve over 300,000 lawsuits, sources said

3M has tentatively agreed to pay more than $5.5bn (€5bn) to resolve over 300,000 lawsuits claiming it sold the US military defective combat earplugs, sources said.

The maker of Scotch tape and Post-it notes, 3M has tentatively agreed to pay more than $5.5bn (€5bn) to resolve over 300,000 lawsuits claiming it sold the US military defective combat earplugs, people familiar with the deal have said.

The settlement would avert a potentially much larger liability that 3M sought to curb though a controversial bankruptcy case that ultimately collapsed.