Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Matters

We are subject to various legal proceedings, many involving routine litigation incidental to the businesses, including approximately 2,451 pending product liability lawsuits resulting from our national distribution of automotive parts and supplies. Many of these involve claims of personal injury allegedly resulting from the use of automotive parts we distributed. The amount accrued for pending and future claims was $244 million as of December 31, 2023, which represented our best estimate of the liability within our calculated range of $196 million to $277 million, discounted using a discount rate of 3.88%. The amount accrued for pending and future claims was $220 million as of December 31, 2022, which represented our best estimate of the liability within our calculated range of $190 million to $270 million, discounted using a discount rate of 3.83%. Our undiscounted product liability was $308 million and $285 million as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

The amounts recognized are based on the best available information and assumptions that we believe are reasonable. While litigation of any type contains an element of uncertainty, we believe that our insurance coverage and our defense, and ultimate resolution of pending and reasonably anticipated claims will continue to occur within the ordinary course of our business and that resolution of these claims will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

On April 17, 2017, a jury awarded damages against the company of $82 million in a litigated automotive product liability dispute. Through post-trial motions and offsets from previous settlements, the initial verdict was reduced to $77 million. We believed the verdict was not supported by the facts or the law and was contrary to our role in the automotive parts industry. We challenged the verdict through an appeal to a higher court. On February 19, 2020, the

Washington Court of Appeals issued an order entirely reversing the jury's finding on damages and ordering a new trial on damages. The plaintiffs subsequently appealed this order to the Washington Supreme Court. On July 7, 2020, the Washington Supreme Court indicated that it would consider a further appeal on this matter, and oral arguments occurred on November 10, 2020. On July 8, 2021, the Washington Supreme Court overturned the order of the Washington Court of Appeals and reinstated the trial court's damage award of $77 million against the company. We recorded an adjustment to increase selling, administrative and other expenses by approximately $77 million, inclusive of statutory interest and insurance coverage, in the consolidated statements of income for the year ended December 31, 2021. The damage award and statutory interest was fully paid as of December 31, 2021.

Environmental Liabilities

Item 103 of SEC Regulation S-K requires disclosure of certain environmental matters when a governmental authority is a party to the proceedings and such proceedings involve potential monetary sanctions that we reasonably believe will exceed an applied threshold not to exceed $1 million. Applying this threshold, there are no environmental matters to disclose for this period.