Bill Robertson, CEO and personal injury attorney with Kirk Pinkerton, PA, is pursuing legal claims against 3M to recover damages for veterans who received defective combat earplugs during their military tours.

In July 2018, 3M agreed to pay $9.1 million in response to resolve claims that the company manufactured and sold faulty standard-issued Combat Arms Earplugs™ (CAEv2) to the military for more than a decade. The trademarked, dual-ended earplugs were sold to the U.S. government between 2002-16.  The devices, originally manufactured by Aero Technologies but later acquired by 3M, were the exclusive product used by service members of the U.S. Marines, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Libya and Syria, among others. The product was discontinued in 2015. 

Robertson, a Sarasota native, comes from an extensive military background and wants to help affected veterans—who may have hearing loss, tinnitus or loss of balance as a result of using the faulty earplugs—file individual claims against the manufacturer to recover damages.

“Our soldiers volunteer to stand in harm’s way for our freedom and deserve nothing but the finest protection against injury,” Robertson says. “They deserve nothing but the finest protection against injury. We will fight for our nation’s heroes to recover the money they deserve to help heal their suffering.” 

Working on contingency basis, those seeking damages will not incur any expenses unless compensation is recovered during the lawsuit. Robertson will provide veterans with a 10 percent discount on his fees. 

Robertson was also involved in helping Florida businesses and cities after the BP oil spill. He helped clients secure more than $30 million in damages after filing 115 claims for hotels, real estate firms and other businesses, along with the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton Beach. Currently, he is representing the City of Sarasota in a lawsuit to recover damages related to the opioid epidemic against major pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.