In the first substantive decision to come out of the multidistrict litigation involving allegedly defective earplugs, a federal judge has refused to toss thousands of lawsuits brought by U.S. service members against 3M Corp.

U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers of the Northern District of Florida found that 3M could not claim it was operating under a duty to the federal government because it did not actually have a contract with the U.S. military, which was only a purchaser of the equipment.