Joseph Alpern, a DJ who purchased earplugs from Walgreens in 2013 in anticipation of a job at a loud New York nightclub, is suing the company for $640,000 for related hearing loss and nerve damage.
Alpern said that after working at the club for several hours with the earplugs in, he took them out only to be met with “an immediate sharp pain, accompanied by a ringing sound.” The pain remained for six months, he said, with constant ringing in both of his ears and the inability to sleep on his right side.
A specialist told Alpern that he had suffered permanent nerve damage in his ears. They said the plugs were sealed so tightly, that when he pulled them out it dangerously stretched his eardrum. 
Now, Alpern says, he experiences headaches, is fatigued and has trouble listening to music at normal volumes.
Source/Image: TMZ
