3M Combat Arms Earplug Settlement Amounts

3M Company agreed on August 29, 2023 to contribute $6.01 billion between 2023 and 2029 to resolve Combat Arms Earplug claims, structured as $5.01 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M common stock. The company stated that it will pay cash instead of stock, after its January 26, 2024 election. No public document supplies a per-claimant payment figure.

At a glance

• 3M Company and its subsidiary Aearo Technologies LLC entered the settlement on August 29, 2023, covering claims in MDL No. 2885 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida and a coordinated Minnesota state court action, File No. 27-CV-19916.
• The announced total is $6.01 billion under the Form 8-K, described as $6.0 billion in the accompanying press release, with the structure stated as $5.01 billion cash and $1 billion stock in the filing.
• 3M recorded a pre-tax charge of approximately $4.2 billion in the third quarter of 2023, described as the $5.3 billion pre-tax present value of contributions net of an existing accrual of approximately $1.1 billion.
• A January 26, 2024 amendment records 3M’s irrevocable election to pay cash for all four stock tranches, replaced by six scheduled cash payments totaling $1 billion.
• 3M stated on January 15, 2024 that all remaining “wave” plaintiffs had agreed to participate, and that it would accelerate a $253.1 million payment to on or before January 31, 2024.

What figure does the settlement document actually state?

The August 29, 2023 Form 8-K states that 3M will contribute a total amount of $6.01 billion between 2023 and 2029. The same filing describes the structure as $5.01 billion in cash consideration and $1 billion in 3M common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

The press release issued the same day rounds these to $6.0 billion total, $5.0 billion in cash and $1.0 billion in stock. Both documents come from the same filing date, and the small difference reflects how each document rounds the figures.

The filing states that the actual amount, payment terms and dates are subject to participation thresholds. The principal threshold is that at least 98% of individuals with actual or potential litigation claims involving the Combat Arms Earplug must enroll in the settlement and provide 3M with a full release.

What did the January 2024 amendment change?

An amendment dated January 26, 2024 records that 3M made an irrevocable election to substitute cash for the equity tranches described in the Master Settlement Agreement. The amendment replaces the $1 billion equity obligation with six scheduled cash payments, contingent on satisfaction of the 98% participation level.

The schedule in the amendment is: $350 million on April 15, 2024, or five days after a determination that the 98% level was satisfied, whichever is later; $100 million on July 15, 2024; $25 million on October 15, 2024; $375 million on January 15, 2025; $75 million on January 15, 2026; and $75 million on April 15, 2026. The six amounts total $1 billion.

The amendment also sets March 25, 2024 as the Final Registration Date. It provides that the settlement administrator calculates the participation level within five days of that date, and that challenges proceed to the Settlement Special Master.

Where the claims stand procedurally

The Combat Arms Earplug claims are consolidated in MDL No. 2885, In re Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida as of the August 29, 2023 filing. An MDL, or multidistrict litigation, is a procedural device that centralizes pretrial proceedings for many federal cases before one court. A parallel coordinated action proceeds in the 4th Judicial District, County of Hennepin, Minnesota, File No. 27-CV-19916.

The settlement is not a court judgment against 3M. The Form 8-K states that the settlement provides that 3M does not admit any liability or wrongdoing, and the press release states that the agreement is not an admission of liability and describes the products as safe and effective when used properly.

The filings do not report a bellwether trial date, because the settlement framework replaced trial preparation for the wave plaintiffs. A bellwether trial is a test trial chosen from a group of similar cases to gauge how others might proceed. The January 15, 2024 press release states that the remaining wave plaintiffs, whose claims were being prepared for trial prior to the agreement, had agreed to participate in the settlement. For background on the litigation itself, see the 3M Combat Arms Earplug settlement overview and the case study.

What is established vs. what is alleged

Established by the filings: the August 29, 2023 entry into the settlement, the $6.01 billion total stated in the Form 8-K, the $5.01 billion cash and $1 billion stock structure, the $4.2 billion pre-tax charge, and the January 26, 2024 cash election with its payment schedule.

Alleged, not decided: the underlying injury claims involving the Combat Arms Earplugs. The documents describe litigation and alleged claims, and they record no finding of liability. The 98% participation threshold is a contractual condition, not an adjudicated fact about fault.

The word “settlement” here describes a private agreement with claimants’ leadership, referenced in Securities and Exchange Commission filings, not a verdict or a court-ordered damages award. The site’s product liability section shows how other mass torts handle comparable records.

Key dates

• August 29, 2023: 3M Company and Aearo Technologies LLC enter the settlement, disclosed in a Form 8-K with three master settlement agreements as exhibits.
• October 24, 2023: 3M reports third quarter 2023 results, stating that it recorded a $4.2 billion pre-tax charge and that the notification and registration process for the agreement is progressing.
• January 15, 2024: 3M announces that all remaining wave plaintiffs agreed to participate and that it will accelerate a $253.1 million payment to on or before January 31, 2024.
• January 26, 2024: 3M and the Aearo Entities execute the amendment electing cash for the $1 billion in payments that could have been paid in stock.
• March 25, 2024: the Final Registration Date set by the amendment, used to calculate the participation level.

What this does not establish

The record does not show any per-claimant settlement amount. Neither the Form 8-K, the press release, the amendment nor the earnings release states an individual payment figure, and no document divides the total by a claimant count.

The record does not show that the 98% participation threshold was satisfied. The amendment sets a process for calculating the participation level but records no result.

The record does not show total claimant counts from the JPML docket. The documents repeatedly cite the MDL number and the court but supply no docket statistics, so this article states no case count.

The record does not show final court approval of a class settlement or an appeal outcome. The filings describe court orders supporting implementation of the agreement, without describing appellate proceedings.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the 3M Combat Arms Earplug settlement?

3M Company’s August 29, 2023 Form 8-K states a total contribution of $6.01 billion between 2023 and 2029. The same filing describes $5.01 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M common stock. The accompanying press release rounds these to $6.0 billion, $5.0 billion and $1.0 billion.

Did 3M pay the settlement in stock?

No. A January 26, 2024 amendment to the master settlement agreement records 3M’s irrevocable election to pay cash for all four stock tranches. The amendment replaces the $1 billion equity obligation with six scheduled cash payments running from April 2024 to April 2026.

What is the 98% participation threshold?

The August 29, 2023 Form 8-K states that payment terms depend on at least 98% of individuals with actual or potential Combat Arms Earplug claims enrolling and providing 3M a full release. The January 26, 2024 amendment sets a process for calculating the participation level after the March 25, 2024 Final Registration Date.

Which court is handling the 3M earplug claims?

The federal claims are consolidated in MDL No. 2885, In re Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. A coordinated state court action proceeds in the 4th Judicial District, County of Hennepin, Minnesota, File No. 27-CV-19916.

How much did 3M record as a charge?

3M recorded a pre-tax charge of approximately $4.2 billion in the third quarter of 2023. Its October 24, 2023 earnings release describes the charge as the $5.3 billion pre-tax present value of contributions under the agreement net of a then-existing accrual of approximately $1.1 billion.

Sources

1. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: “3M Company Form 8-K, August 29, 2023” (link, accessed 2026-06-08)
2. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: “3M Announces Combat Arms Settlement (Exhibit 99.1)” (link, accessed 2026-06-08)
3. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: “Combat Arms Earplug Settlement Achieves Another Milestone with Participation of All Wave Plaintiffs (Exhibit 99.1, January 15, 2024)” (link, accessed 2026-06-08)
4. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: “Combat Arms Master Settlement Agreement (MSA I) Amendment (Exhibit 10.1)” (link, accessed 2026-06-08)
5. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: “3M Company Form 8-K, January 26, 2024” (link, accessed 2026-06-08)
6. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: “3M Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results (Exhibit 99.1)” (link, accessed 2026-06-08)