Oldbury military vet joins UK lawsuit against US earplugs supplier 3M
An ex Royal Marines commando from the Black Country is among tens of thousands of British military personnel who lost their hearing after being given faulty earplugs made by American firm 3M.
Dave Pettifer, 47, a father-of-two from Oldbury, used 3M earplugs while serving with the Royal Marines’ heavy weapons and anti-tanks sub-unit from 2002 to 2012, including three tours in Afghanistan.
He suffered hearing loss in his left ear and is among the first UK armed forces personnel to join a legal claim launching today against 3M.
Dave said: “It’s a huge disappointment to know that a massive conglomerate like 3M, who were obligated to supply soldiers with quality equipment which worked properly, were willing to put profit over the welfare of individuals who step up to serve their country.
"I think I can speak for all British servicemen and women who have been affected by this betrayal when I say that we deserved a lot better.”
He added: “On a practical level, the hearing loss I suffered in my left ear affects me on a daily basis, even to the point where my wife has to keep repeating things when I mis-hear.
"In other instances, including in the work I’ve done since leaving the Marines, I have often felt embarrassed when I’ve had to ask people to repeat themselves after not hearing them correctly.”
Dave trains youngsters at his local boxing gym, where again he struggles to hear – another area in which hearing damage impacts his everyday life.
3M, a multinational conglomerate which produces personal safety equipment (PPE), supplied around 400,000 sets of Combat Arms Earplugs to the UK’s Military of Defence (MoD) between 2003 and 2023.
KP Law, a leading UK specialist in group action claims, today launched a call for affected UK veterans and armed forces personnel to join its ‘no win, no fee’ group action lawsuit against 3M seeking justice and compensation.
This will be the first action against 3M in the UK courts. It comes after 3M agreed in 2023 to pay more than $6bn to settle lawsuits from US military personnel.
It is estimated that tens of thousands of people who served in Britain’s Army, Navy and Air Force used the earplugs in the belief they were protecting their hearing during active service and training.
Many of these men and women, some still serving, suffered life-changing hearing loss and hearing damage including tinnitus, and related issues including stress, anxiety and depression.
Tom Longstaff, partner and head of product liability at KP Law, said: “One of the British military’s core values is integrity. By supplying earplugs that were defective, 3M showed no integrity.
"This is another example of a large corporate taking advantage of the British public, this time at the expense of members of the Armed Forces.
"It is only right that the men and women whose lives have been impacted receive justice and compensation.”
Individuals who meet the following criteria are eligible to join KP Law’s class action lawsuit:
Served in the armed forces
Suffer from or suspect they suffer from hearing loss
Used 3M Combat Arms Earplugs V2.
Military personnel can sign up to the claim by going to 3mclaims.co.uk
Some UK military personnel have legal claims in against the MoD after having suffered hearing loss or hearing damage while serving. This does not preclude someone from joining KP Law’s group action to seek justice from 3M. The two claims are entirely separate.
