Several military settlements are advancing in 2026, and this roundup of military settlement news covers where each one stands and what claimants can do next. The $6 billion 3M Combat Arms earplug program has now paid out more than $3.1 billion, Camp Lejeune water claims are still overwhelmingly unresolved, the Justice Department reached a first-of-its-kind $3 million deal with Georgia licensing boards over military spouse licensing, and a $5.2 million class action against the Albert cash-advance app is awaiting final court approval.
3M Combat Arms Earplug Settlement
The 3M earplug settlement is the largest mass tort resolution in American history, covering roughly 271,000 claimants who used Combat Arms Version 2 earplugs manufactured between 1999 and 2015. Most claimants are servicemembers alleging the earplugs were defectively designed and caused hearing loss or tinnitus.1BrownGreer. Combat Arms Earplugs The $6 billion deal, approved in August 2023, calls for $5 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M stock paid in installments through 2029. 3M stated the agreement was not an admission of liability.2Claims Journal. 3M Agrees to $6 Billion Settlement
Where Payments Stand in 2026
As of January 2026, the program had paid more than $3.1 billion. Nearly all Early Payment Program and Extraordinary Injury Fund awards are complete, and registration payments under the Deferred Payment Program are essentially done. The larger point-based Deferred Payment Program awards began after October 2025.3Miller & Zois. 3M Combat Arms Earplug Lawsuit Attorneys
The first point dollar value was set at $933.50 as of October 1, 2025. The settlement administrator tentatively projects a cumulative value of $9,500 to $10,100 per point by 2029, assuming 3M makes all scheduled deposits on time.4Junell Law. Alert 25-0008 Points depend on the severity of hearing loss, whether one or both ears are affected, documented tinnitus, the claimant’s age, and the strength of the link between the damage and earplug use.3Miller & Zois. 3M Combat Arms Earplug Lawsuit Attorneys
Checking a Claim
BrownGreer PLC administers the settlement and runs the official portal at combatarmssettlement.com. Claimants log in with their registered email, date of birth, and the last four digits of their Social Security number to see status, payment information, and lien resolution.5Combat Arms Settlement. Combat Arms Earplugs Settlement Program Awards pay on a first-in, first-out basis, and the court has warned veterans about scam contacts impersonating the administrator to solicit personal information.6U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida. 3M Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2885
VA disability benefits are not subject to liens or reimbursement from the settlement. Veterans treated through private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid may owe reimbursement from those costs, though the administrator works to reduce those liens through a questionnaire sent during registration.3Miller & Zois. 3M Combat Arms Earplug Lawsuit Attorneys
Ugandan Claims Invalidated
In March 2026, Judge M. Casey Rodgers invalidated roughly 1,000 claims submitted on behalf of Ugandan clients. A Special Master’s report found that the law firm Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz had submitted hundreds of documents supposed to be audiograms that were actually generic employment contracts or other non-medical paperwork. Staff were told to match names to a client list without verifying content.7Insurance Journal. 3M Sanctions Recommendation The Special Master called the process “sloppy, unclear, and unmanageable” but stopped short of finding intentional fraud. The judge imposed no sanctions, contempt findings, or criminal referrals, and the disqualified claims were removed from the settlement fund.3Miller & Zois. 3M Combat Arms Earplug Lawsuit Attorneys
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claims
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, signed in August 2022, gave people who lived or worked at the North Carolina Marine Corps base a path to sue the federal government over decades of water contamination. Response has been enormous, resolution painfully slow.
The Backlog
By the August 2024 filing deadline, the Navy had received 408,860 administrative claims.8Roll Call. Victims of Camp Lejeune’s Tainted Water Inch Closer to Amends The Navy identified over 100,000 as duplicates from multiple firms filing for the same individuals.9TruLaw. Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit Another 3,718 victims had filed lawsuits in federal court as of early 2026. As of February 26, 2026, settlements had been approved for 2,353 victims, and 1,554 had accepted their offers for a total approved value of $691.3 million. That is less than 1% of all claimants.
The Elective Option
In September 2023, the DOJ and Navy introduced the Elective Option, a voluntary settlement framework for claims involving specific serious illnesses. Payments are tiered by disease and length of exposure at Camp Lejeune:
- Tier 1 diseases (kidney cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemias, bladder cancer): offers from $150,000 for 30 to 364 days of exposure up to $450,000 for more than five years.
- Tier 2 diseases (multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s disease, kidney disease/end-stage renal disease, systemic sclerosis/scleroderma): offers from $100,000 to $400,000 on the same exposure scale.
- Death benefit: an additional $100,000 if the qualifying injury caused the claimant’s death, for a maximum offer of $550,000.10U.S. Navy. Public Guidance Elective Option CLJA
Claimants who receive an offer have 60 days to accept and 14 days after that to sign release documents. The U.S. Treasury processes payment within 60 days. Accepting an offer does not affect VA benefits, and no offset or lien applies to Elective Option payments.10U.S. Navy. Public Guidance Elective Option CLJA Declining preserves the administrative claim and the right to file suit, but a second Elective Option offer will not be made. Attorney fees are capped by law at 20% for administrative settlements and 25% for litigation settlements.11U.S. Department of Justice. Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claims
Bellwether Trials Ahead
About two dozen bellwether cases are headed to trial in federal court in North Carolina, with proceedings expected later in 2026. The four federal judges assigned to the litigation have been ruling against government motions to delay.8Roll Call. Victims of Camp Lejeune’s Tainted Water Inch Closer to Amends Those verdicts could set benchmarks for valuing the remaining hundreds of thousands of claims.
DOJ Settlement With Georgia Licensing Boards
On March 31, 2026, the Justice Department announced a $3 million settlement with 42 Georgia state licensing boards over their failure to recognize the out-of-state professional licenses of servicemembers and military spouses. Since January 2023, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act has required states to honor those licenses when military families relocate on orders.12U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Department and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices Reach $3 Million Settlement With Georgia Professional Licensing Boards
U.S. Attorney Margaret “Meg” Heap for the Southern District of Georgia called it a “groundbreaking settlement,” the first of its kind. It covers professionals from teachers and nurses to electricians, plumbers, cosmetologists, pharmacists, and therapists. An estimated 5,000 servicemembers and military spouses may be entitled to compensation, with individual payments of up to $50,000 and an average of roughly $600.13Insurance Journal. DOJ Reaches $3M Settlement Over Georgia Licensing Failures
The Georgia boards are also required to adopt SCRA-compliant policies and create a streamlined application process for people already licensed in another state. Anyone who applied for a Georgia professional license after January 2023 and believes their rights were violated can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia at USAGAN.CivilRights@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-4626.12U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Department and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices Reach $3 Million Settlement With Georgia Professional Licensing Boards
Albert Instant Payday Loan Class Action
A $5.2 million class action settlement was reached on January 30, 2026, in Feeman, et al. v. Albert Corporation, et al., filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The suit alleged that the financial technology company Albert charged active-duty servicemembers illegal fees on short-term cash advances through its “Albert Instant” product, with effective annual percentage rates exceeding 400% — well beyond the Military Lending Act’s 36% cap.14Center for Responsible Lending. Payday Loan App Litigation Tracker
Under the proposed settlement, eligible class members would receive roughly $30 per qualifying transaction on a pro rata basis from the $5.2 million fund. Albert would also be barred from assessing certain transfer fees on advances to servicemembers and their dependents for a defined period. The deal is awaiting final court approval after a judge granted preliminary approval and vacated a motion to compel arbitration.14Center for Responsible Lending. Payday Loan App Litigation Tracker
AFFF Firefighting Foam Litigation
More than 15,000 personal injury cases remain pending in the AFFF/PFAS multidistrict litigation (MDL-2873) before Judge Richard M. Gergel. Military personnel exposed to aqueous film-forming foam on bases are among the primary plaintiff groups. No personal injury settlement has been reached, though water contamination settlements in the same litigation have exceeded $12.2 billion. A pool of 28 bellwether cases covering kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and ulcerative colitis is in case-specific discovery, and legal analysts anticipate a potential global personal injury resolution in late 2026 or 2027.15MDL Update. MDL 2873 – Aqueous Film Forming Foams
Kennedy Discharge Upgrade Settlement
The Kennedy v. Whitley settlement, given final approval in April 2021, continues to affect post-9/11 Army veterans seeking discharge upgrades. The Army is required to automatically reconsider Army Discharge Review Board decisions issued between April 17, 2011, and April 26, 2021, where a veteran’s PTSD, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, or other behavioral health condition played a role in the misconduct behind a less-than-fully-honorable discharge.16Yale Law School. Federal Court Approves Major Nationwide Settlement for Post-9/11 Army Veterans Veterans whose cases fall between October 2001 and April 2011 have expanded reapplication rights, and all eligible veterans can request telephonic hearings.17Swords to Plowshares. Kennedy Settlement Information