Legal Matters and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Legal Matters and Contingencies

Legal Matters and Contingencies

Asbestos-Related Claims

We are a defendant in a substantial number of lawsuits that seek to recover damages for personal injury allegedly caused by exposure to asbestos-containing products manufactured and/or distributed by our heritage companies in the past. While the overall number of asbestos-related claims has generally declined in recent years, there can be no assurance that this trend will continue, or that the average cost per claim will not further increase. Asbestos-containing materials incorporated into any such products were encapsulated and used as internal components of process equipment, and we do not believe that any significant emission of asbestos fibers occurred during the use of this equipment.

Our practice is to vigorously contest and resolve these claims, and we have been successful in resolving a majority of claims with little or no payment. Historically, a high percentage of resolved claims have been covered by applicable insurance or indemnities from other companies, and we believe that a substantial majority of existing claims should continue to be covered by insurance or indemnities, in whole or in part. Accordingly, we have recorded a liability for our estimate of the most likely settlement

of asserted claims and a related receivable from insurers or other companies for our estimated recovery, to the extent we believe that the amounts of recovery are probable. While unfavorable rulings, judgments or settlement terms regarding these claims could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, we currently believe the likelihood is remote.

Additionally, we have claims pending against certain insurers that, if resolved more favorably than reflected in the recorded receivables, would result in discrete gains in the applicable quarter. We are currently unable to estimate the impact, if any, of unasserted asbestos-related claims, although we expect that future claims would also be subject to then existing indemnities and insurance coverage.

Other

We are currently involved as a potentially responsible party at five former public waste disposal sites in various stages of evaluation or remediation. The projected cost of remediation at these sites, as well as our alleged "fair share" allocation, will remain uncertain until all studies have been completed and the parties have either negotiated an amicable resolution or the matter has been judicially resolved. At each site, there are many other parties who have similarly been identified. Many of the other parties identified are financially strong and solvent companies that appear able to pay their share of the remediation costs. Based on our information about the waste disposal practices at these sites and the environmental regulatory process in general, we believe that it is likely that ultimate remediation liability costs for each site will be apportioned among all liable parties, including site owners and waste transporters, according to the volumes and/or toxicity of the wastes shown to have been disposed of at the sites. We believe that our financial exposure for existing disposal sites will not be materially in excess of accrued reserves.

As previously disclosed in our 2018 Annual Report, in 2016 we terminated an employee of an overseas subsidiary after uncovering actions that violated our Code of Business Conduct and may have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  We completed our internal investigation into the matter and self-reported the potential violation to the United States Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) and the SEC.  We previously received a subpoena from the SEC requesting additional information and documentation related to the matter and have completed our response to the subpoena.  Since that time there has not been any legal action in respect of this matter. We currently believe that this matter will not have a material adverse financial impact on the Company. 

We are also a defendant in a number of other lawsuits, including product liability claims, that are insured, subject to the applicable deductibles, arising in the ordinary course of business, and we are also involved in other uninsured routine litigation incidental to our business. We currently believe none of such litigation, either individually or in the aggregate, is material to our business, operations or overall financial condition. However, litigation is inherently unpredictable, and resolutions or dispositions of claims or lawsuits by settlement or otherwise could have an adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows for the reporting period in which any such resolution or disposition occurs.

Although none of the aforementioned potential liabilities can be quantified with absolute certainty except as otherwise indicated above, we have established or adjusted reserves covering exposures relating to contingencies, to the extent believed to be reasonably estimable and probable based on past experience and available facts. While additional exposures beyond these reserves could exist, they currently cannot be estimated. We will continue to evaluate and update the reserves as necessary and appropriate.