In a win for injured soldiers, a federal judge on Friday dismissed the bankruptcy of 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies, which was attempting to use its protections to permanently resolve 260,000 lawsuits alleging that 3M military earplugs caused hearing loss for veterans and U.S. service members. This new ruling upends 3M’s litigation strategy to resolve mass tort claims in bankruptcy, which would have circumvented the ability of plaintiffs to have their cases heard by a jury of their peers as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Brian Glasser and Bailey & Glasser, LLP helped get this mass tort bankruptcy dismissed.
“The soldiers who used 3M earplugs deserve to the chance to hold 3M accountable before a jury of their peers,” said founding partner Brian Glasser. “3M and Aearo have no special right to put veterans in a bankruptcy box, and now can face these claims in front of juries around the nation.”
Additional Bailey Glasser lawyers working on this matter include partners Cary Joshi, David Selby, Katherine E. Charonko, and Todd Mathews.
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