Jury selection begins Monday in a Florida bellwether trial over 3M’s combat earplugs after a federal judge denied a request to delay the proceedings following a COVID-19 outbreak of the defense legal team.

On Jan. 7, 3M’s lawyers asked to postpone the trial after three members of its legal team tested positive for COVID-19, exposing the entire trial team. They sought a postponement of at least a week to allow team members to quarantine and obtain negative COVID-19 tests. Plaintiffs’ lawyers countered that the trial could continue, particularly given that 3M’s legal team included 18 lawyers from three law firms.