3M Maneuver Would ‘Abuse’ Bankruptcy Law, Lawmakers Say (1)

Congressional Democrats are urging an appeals court to reject 3M Co.'s attempt to shield itself from more than 200,000 claims that its allegedly faulty ear plugs caused hearing loss.

The St. Paul-based manufacturing giant is using a bankrupt subsidiary, Aearo Technologies, to absorb the claims, mostly from service members. Congress didn’t intend bankruptcy laws to be used by successful companies to avoid mass tort litigation, the lawmakers, including Sens. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), said in a brief filed Wednesday in the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The lawmakers are “actively pursuing legislative solutions” to ...