3M lawsuit update... Here is my breakdown. I'm an Archer client diagnosed with tinnitus. Awarded $10,000, but after fees, I'm only seeing about $4,600. Got the paperwork today, 3/7/2024

Hearing, Ear Health & Tinnitus
1

Regarding the 3M settlement… I’m with Archer and have a tinnitus diagnosis. My total award was $10,000. I received the final docs today, March 7, 2024, to select my payment method. After the legal fees, my actual take-home is roughly $4,600.

12 Likes
2

That is simply the reality of how these things work.

3

What number was your FIFO?

5

I get that it’s easy to bash the attorneys, but they went head-to-head with a massive US corporation. They had to put in a ton of work—research, court appearances, all that. Are the fees high? Definitely. But it’s not like they just sent a few emails. Every cent you’re getting is money you wouldn’t have seen if they hadn’t fought for us.

6

That’s $4,600 more than you’d have if they hadn’t taken the case.

7

Nice. I’m betting we’ll see more class actions against big companies working with the military. This was a huge recent win, and major firms are definitely paying attention and looking for the next case.

8

I thought the judge ruled that claimants should get at least 50% of the total. That doesn’t look right. You might want to check with the settlement administrator.

9

Wow, a lot of people here are really sticking up for these greedy lawyers.

10

I agree they do the heavy lifting initially, but once the tinnitus or hearing loss claim is set, the rest of the filings are basically just copy-paste. The fees feel a bit predatory in my opinion.

11

I don’t get how lawyers take 56% while the soldiers living with permanent injuries only get 44%. No logic makes that feel fair.

12

Check your standing here: https://www.combatarmssettlement.com/

13

This is something you could report to the Department of Justice too.

14

You should probably reach out to Judge Rodgers. It was mentioned that firms have a cap and shouldn’t be overcharging us.

15

That explains why the big firm in my area passed on me. I have tinnitus and they only asked if I was in combat and if I used other earplugs. After 25 years, of course I had. They were just hunting for the massive payouts. I should’ve gone with a smaller firm.

16

Class actions are always a cash cow for firms. Once the TV ads start, it’s less about the victims and more about the firm’s billable hours.