3M Earplug Judge Orders Mediation Away from Bankruptcy Court (1)

Lawyers suing 3M Co. over claims that faulty earplugs deafened US soldiers say the company’s bid to resolve the cases as part of a unit’s bankruptcy has hit a roadblock and plan to shift their settlement efforts back to the regular court system.

Attorneys for 230,000 current and former service-members last month warned a bankruptcy judge in Indiana that settlement talks have reached “an unbreakable impasse” despite three months of meetings with mediators, according to court filings. They urged a federal judge in Florida to restart discussions aimed at reaching an out-of-court settlement.

US District Judge Casey Rodgers ...