3M combat earplug lawsuits to proceed, judge rules, despite bankruptcy case

Source: Reuters

3M combat earplug lawsuits to proceed, judge rules, despite bankruptcy case

Fri, August 26, 2022 at 2:57 PM

(Reuters) -3M Co must face more than 230,000 lawsuits accusing it of selling defective earplugs to the U.S. military, after a U.S. judge on Friday ruled that the bankruptcy of a subsidiary did not stop lawsuits against the non-bankrupt parent company.

Companies that file for bankruptcy typically receive an immediate reprieve from lawsuits, and 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies LLC argued that extending those protections to 3M would buy Aearo time to address its debts and restructuring goals.

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Attorneys representing the veterans with hearing loss said they looked forward to continuing their lawsuits against 3M in other courts.

"Judge Graham's decision is a complete rejection of 3M's attempt to evade accountability and hide in bankruptcy after multiple juries found it liable for knowingly causing hearing damage to those who served our nation," plaintiff attorneys Bryan Aylstock and Christopher Seeger said in a statement.

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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/3m-subsidiarys-bankruptcy-fails-stop-185724270.html