To file the 3M earplug lawsuit claim form, log in to CombatArmsSettlement.com with the credentials you received when you registered, upload your DD214, audiograms, and medical records showing a hearing-loss or tinnitus diagnosis, complete the digital form section by section, and sign it electronically to submit. The portal is managed by the court-appointed administrator BrownGreer, and only claimants who registered before January 25, 2024 can use it.
Can You Still File
Registration for the $6 billion Combat Arms Earplugs settlement closed on January 25, 2024. If you registered before that date but have not yet filed your claim form, you can still submit through the portal. If you did not register in time, there is no late-entry process and no way to join now. The program is in its final payment and cleanup phase, with funding scheduled through 2029.13M Company. Combat Arms Earplugs Settlement Moves to Final Resolution
To receive a payment, you also need to meet the settlement’s definition of a Qualified Claimant: military service in any U.S. branch between 2003 and 2015, actual issuance and use of the dual-ended Combat Arms Version 2 earplugs, and a documented medical diagnosis of tinnitus, noise-induced hearing loss, or both. Self-reported symptoms will not qualify.
What to Gather Before You Log In
Pull every document together first. Trying to complete the form while hunting for records is how claims end up with mismatched dates and deficiency notices.
- Your DD214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge), which proves your service dates and branch. If you don’t have a copy, request one through the National Archives’ eVetRecs tool at vetrecs.archives.gov using an identity-verified ID.me account. The settlement administrator needs its own copy even if the VA has already pulled yours for a benefits claim.2U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Request Your Military Service Records (including DD214)
- Audiograms from during or shortly after service. The strongest claims show losses of at least 25 decibels at key frequencies compared to your enlistment baseline. Service-era tests carry more weight than audiograms performed years later.
- Medical records that explicitly state a diagnosis of hearing loss or tinnitus. VA medical center records, military treatment facility records, and private audiologist reports all qualify.
- Any earplug issuance paperwork you have. Supply or unit-level records connecting you to the Version 2 earplugs strengthen the claim, though not every claimant will have them.
Every file you upload must be legible. The administrator uses automated systems to cross-check your form entries against your attachments, and blurry or cropped scans trigger deficiency notices.
Filling Out the Form
Go to CombatArmsSettlement.com and click “Claimant Login” at the top of the page.3BrownGreer PLC. Combat Arms Settlement Program Website Use the login credentials issued to you at registration. If you’ve lost them, contact BrownGreer through the portal’s support options rather than trying to create a new account.
Personal and Military Information
The first section covers identity and service history. Enter your full legal name, Social Security number, current mailing address, and phone number exactly as they appear on official records. The administrator uses this contact information to send payment notices and deficiency requests, so keep it current. Select your branch and enter the start and end dates of your service as shown on your DD214. Enter every enlistment if you served more than once.
Earplug Use and Injury Details
The next section asks when you first used the Version 2 earplugs and for how long. Be specific about high-noise exposure: weapons qualifications, artillery exercises, flight-line operations, and similar training. You’ll also enter the date of your first hearing-related diagnosis and the results at specific audiogram frequencies. Keep your medical records open beside you while you type. Every number and date must match the uploaded evidence exactly, because discrepancies between form fields and supporting documents are the single most common reason claims get flagged for additional review.
Submitting and Saving Your Confirmation
After the last section, the portal displays a summary of everything you entered. Read it against your source documents before doing anything else. When you confirm the summary is accurate, you complete an electronic signature certifying the claim under penalty of perjury and then click submit.13M Company. Combat Arms Earplugs Settlement Moves to Final Resolution
A confirmation number appears immediately. Save it. Screenshot it, write it down, and email it to yourself. That number is your only proof of submission and the reference you’ll use for every future communication with the administrator.
What Happens After You Submit
BrownGreer reviews your documentation against the settlement’s injury criteria. If anything is missing or unclear, you’ll get a deficiency notice specifying exactly what needs correction. Respond quickly. Delays in curing deficiencies push your claim to the back of the queue and can jeopardize your payment.
Cleared claims are routed to one of two payment tracks. Wave payments are for claimants whose injuries and documentation fit straightforward criteria and move on an expedited schedule. Ledger payments are used for more complex injury valuations, where the medical evidence requires deeper analysis against the settlement’s seven-tier severity scale. Tier-one payments for minor hearing loss start around $7,000, and the most severe permanent impairment can reach approximately $750,000, with most claimants falling in between.
Check the portal regularly. Notices post there, and an unanswered request for more information will stall your claim.
Deductions That Come Off the Top
The tier amount is not the check you’ll receive. Several deductions apply first.
A common benefit fund assessment reimburses the attorneys who managed the MDL for all plaintiffs. The court set that assessment at 9 percent of the gross recovery for claimants whose attorneys signed the participation agreement, and 15 percent for those whose attorneys did not.4United States District Court Northern District of Florida. Common Benefit Order No. 3 It applies no matter what fee arrangement you have with your own lawyer.
Your individual attorney’s contingency fee is a separate deduction on top of that. Percentages vary by firm and retainer, so ask your lawyer now what to expect if you don’t already know.
If Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or the VA paid for treatment related to your hearing injury, the settlement agreement requires the administrator to hold back part of your payment until those government liens are resolved.53M Company. Combat Arms Settlement Agreement A lien resolution administrator negotiates with the agency, and any leftover holdback is released to you afterward. The non-lien portion of your payment is distributed while that process continues.
Taxes and VA Benefits
Settlement payments for physical injuries are generally excluded from gross income under 26 USC 104, whether paid as a lump sum or in installments.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 104 – Compensation for Injuries or Sickness Because this settlement compensates for hearing loss and tinnitus, both physical conditions, the bulk of most payments should be nontaxable. The exclusion does not cover punitive damages or interest on settlement funds. Receiving a Form 1099 does not automatically make a payment taxable, but it does mean the IRS expects you to address it on your return. Talk to a tax professional if your payment includes any component beyond straightforward injury compensation.
VA disability payments are generally not offset by recoveries from civilian lawsuits like this one. The offset rules that apply to Federal Tort Claims Act cases against the government don’t apply here. Even so, if you receive both a VA disability rating for hearing loss and a settlement payment for the same condition, keep clear records distinguishing them. Coordination questions sometimes arise with other federal benefits such as SSDI, so a veterans service officer or benefits attorney is worth consulting if you’re drawing multiple forms of compensation for the same injury.