An ex-Royal Marines commando from Hampshire is among tens of thousands of British military personnel who lost their hearing after being given faulty earplugs made by American firm 3M.
Kris Kirk, 43, a father of two who served with the 40 Commando Royal Marines and Royal Marines Poole between 2004 and 2012, taking part in two operational tours to Afghanistan, said 3M’s betrayal was “shocking” and “wrong.”
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.
Kris, who suffers from tinnitus and requires hearing aids in both ears, is among the first UK armed forces personnel to join a legal claim against 3M.
‘I now suffer from tinnitus and hearing loss’
“I now suffer from tinnitus and hearing loss far and above the level expected for my age,” said Kris, who now works for an aerospace company in Berkshire.
“This limits the type of work I can do. I now require hearing aids in both ears.”
Kris said: “I remember using the 3M earplugs all the time on the range and throughout my time with the Royal Marines. My hearing now is absolutely shocking.
“I recently had a hearing test on both ears. It found both ears are damaged with the left ear worse than the right.
“I’ve got tinnitus too. A high-pitch ringing which can sometimes go on for up to 15 minutes. It just means I can’t talk to anyone until it stops.
“3M supplying the MoD with earplugs they knew were faulty is so shocking and wrong.”
KP Law, a leading UK specialist in group action claims, has 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 is the website on which eligible military personnel can join the claim: www.3mclaims.co.uk
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.
‘3M showed no integrity’
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, and which 3M knew 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.
Some UK military personnel have already received compensation from the MoD after having suffered hearing loss or hearing damage while serving. Having previously received compensation from the MoD does not preclude someone from joining KP Law’s group action to seek justice from 3M. The two claims are entirely separate.
