The federal judge in Florida presiding over a mountain of earplug lawsuits against 3M has terminated efforts to mediate a settlement.
But in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Indiana, mediation continues between 3M and attorneys representing thousands of former and current military members who allege that defective 3M earplugs damaged their hearing.
It's the latest odd twist in a tortuous legal duel with potentially billions of dollars in damages at stake.
