By Harry Leach

Copyright birminghammail

A Midlands veteran who lost his right arm and both legs in Afghanistan has claimed he’s going deaf after allegedly being supplied with ‘defective earplugs’. Invictus Games discus and shot put champ Dave Watson, 38, is speaking out after a legal bid was launched against American PPE giant 3M. The lawsuit seeks compensation from the firm for allegedly supplying hearing-impaired British troops with ‘faulty combat earplugs’. READ MORE: Court update after man charged with raping woman in West Bromwich park “It’s bad enough losing three limbs but now I am having to wear hearing aids because I’m going deaf,” claimed Mr Watson who is from Romsley, Worcestershire . KP Law, a specialist group action law firm, issued a letter to 3M today, September 30, outlining the details of the claim on behalf of the thousands of clients it says it’s representing. 3M told BirminghamLive it has “great respect” for the British Armed Forces but that it’s prepared to defend itself in court. Mr Watson lost his limbs when he was blown up by an improvised explosive device during a routine foot patrol with 1st Battalion Scots Guards in Helmand Province in May 2010. The incident led to his immediate medical discharge from the British Army. After a period of depression he resorted to drink and drugs but the dad-of-two later found hope and purpose in sport. He went on to win gold in shot put and discus at several Invictus Games, including in Sydney in 2018, and he recently came out of retirement to train for the 2027 Games in Birmingham . Mr Watson says he suffers from tinnitus – a constant high-pitched ringing in his ears – and was recently told by doctors that he needs hearing aids in both ears. “It stresses me out and makes me angry,” he said. All the time I’ve got this ringing in my ears. Sometimes I wake up and it’s really loud. “I can hear it constantly throughout the day. It affects me daily. “My wife often has to shout at me because I can’t hear her. Recently, I had a hearing test and the doctor told me I need hearing aids for both ears.” It’s the first case against the firm in the UK after the global business, headquartered in Minnesota, agreed in 2023 to set aside more than $6bn to settle claims from US military personnel. However, it said the resolution of the case “did not involve any admission of liability”. Between 2003 and 2023 it supplied at least 400,000 sets of 3M Combat Arms Earplugs V2 to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, said KP Law. The law firm launched a campaign earlier this year calling for affected UK veterans and armed forces personnel to sign up to its group action lawsuit against 3M. KP Law’s pre-action letter today puts 3M on formal notice of potential court action in the UK seeking justice and compensation for British troops affected. Tom Longstaff, partner and head of product liability at KP Law, said: “Our message is clear – the service men and women who used this defective product believed their hearing was protected as they risked their lives in combat. “It is only right that they now receive justice and compensation, as has been made available to American users of the device in the United States.” Earlier this month, Neil Shastri-Hurst, MP for Solihull West and Shirley, demanded an independent public inquiry into the 3M earplugs scandal. A spokesperson for 3M told BirminghamLive: “3M has great respect for the British Armed Forces. We are proud of our commitment to keeping service members safe through the supply of 3M products and we take the allegations concerning our Combat Arms Earplug Version 2 seriously. “When used properly, this product was safe and effective for its intended purpose. The resolution of previous litigation in the United States did not involve any admission of liability and 3M is prepared to defend itself in any litigation threatened in the English courts regarding that product.”