Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	9. Commitments and Contingencies. Litigation. In the ordinary course of business, we are involved in various proceedings, legal actions and claims. These proceedings, actions and claims may involve product liability, intellectual property, contract disputes, employment, governmental inquiries or other matters, including those more fully described below. The outcomes of these matters will generally not be known for prolonged periods of time. In certain proceedings, the claimants may seek damages as well as other compensatory and equitable relief that could result in the payment of significant claims and settlements and/or the imposition of injunctions or other equitable relief. For legal matters for which our management had sufficient information to reasonably estimate our future obligations, a liability representing management’s best estimate of the probable loss, or the minimum of the range of probable losses when a best estimate within the range is not known, is recorded. The estimates are based on consultation with legal counsel, previous settlement experience, settlement strategies and the potential availability of insurance coverage. If actual outcomes are less favorable than those estimated by management, additional expense may be incurred, which could unfavorably affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The ultimate cost to us with respect to such proceedings, actions and claims could be materially different than the amount of the current estimates and accruals and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Securities Litigation On December 5, 2019, the Bucks County Employees Retirement Fund filed a complaint against Merit, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer in the United States District Court for the Central District of California (the “California Central District Court”), individually and on behalf of all purchasers of our common stock between February 26, 2019 and October 30, 2019. On February 24, 2020, the court appointed the City of Atlanta Police Pension Fund, the Atlanta Firefighters’ Pension Fund, and the Employees’ Retirement System of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge as Lead Plaintiffs. This action is captioned In re Merit Medical Systems, Inc. Securities Litigation (Master File No. 8:19-cv-02326-DOC-ADS). On June 30, 2020, Lead Plaintiffs filed a consolidated class action complaint for violations of federal securities laws against Merit, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer in the California Central District Court, individually and on behalf of all purchasers of our common stock between February 26, 2019 and October 30, 2019. The consolidated class action complaint alleged that defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, and sought unspecified damages, costs and attorneys’ fees, and equitable relief. As of December 31, 2021, we had accrued approximately $10 million of net expense in connection with an agreement in principle to settle the consolidated class action complaint. The parties executed a settlement agreement, settling all claims asserted in the class action complaint, and the settlement agreement was approved by the Central California District Court on April 13, 2022. Shareholder Derivative Action On June 3, 2021, Steffen Maute filed a complaint, derivatively on behalf of Merit, against Merit (as a nominal defendant), our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer, our former President of Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA,”) and certain of our directors in the United States District Court for the District of Utah (Case No. 2:21-cv-00346-DBP). The derivative complaint alleges that the individual defendants violated their fiduciary duties owed to Merit and were unjustly enriched at the expense of and to the detriment of Merit between February 2019 and October 2019, and seeks unspecified damages, costs, and professional fees. We intend to vigorously defend against the lawsuit. The proceeding was stayed until February 19, 2022, subject to the right of either party to seek to lift or extend the stay. The stay has expired, however the parties have been engaged in mediation in an attempt to resolve the dispute. We have not recorded an expense related to this matter because any potential loss is not reasonably estimable. Additionally, we cannot presently estimate the range of loss, if any, that may result from the matter. It is possible that the ultimate resolution of the foregoing matter, or other matters, if resolved in a manner unfavorable to us, may be materially adverse to our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Legal costs for proceedings, legal actions and claims discussed, such as outside counsel fees and expenses, are charged to expense in the period(s) incurred.

Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

9. Commitments and Contingencies.

Litigation. In the ordinary course of business, we are involved in various proceedings, legal actions and claims. These proceedings, actions and claims may involve product liability, intellectual property, contract disputes, employment, governmental inquiries or other matters, including those more fully described below. The outcomes of these matters will generally not be known for prolonged periods of time. In certain proceedings, the claimants may seek damages as well as other compensatory and equitable relief that could result in the payment of significant claims and settlements and/or the imposition of injunctions or other equitable relief. For legal matters for which our management had sufficient information to reasonably estimate our future obligations, a liability representing management’s best estimate of the probable loss, or the minimum of the range of probable losses when a best estimate within the range is not known, is recorded. The estimates are based on consultation with legal counsel, previous settlement experience, settlement strategies and the potential availability of insurance coverage. If actual outcomes are less favorable than those estimated by management, additional expense may be incurred, which could unfavorably affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The ultimate cost to us with respect to such proceedings, actions and claims could be materially different than the amount of the current estimates and accruals and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Securities Litigation

On December 5, 2019, the Bucks County Employees Retirement Fund filed a complaint against Merit, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer in the United States District Court for the Central District of California (the “California Central District Court”), individually and on behalf of all purchasers of our common stock between February 26, 2019 and October 30, 2019. On February 24, 2020, the court appointed the City of Atlanta Police Pension Fund, the Atlanta Firefighters’ Pension Fund, and the Employees’ Retirement System of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge as Lead Plaintiffs. This action is captioned In re Merit Medical Systems, Inc. Securities Litigation (Master File No. 8:19-cv-02326-DOC-ADS). On June 30, 2020, Lead Plaintiffs filed a consolidated class action complaint for violations of federal securities laws against Merit, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer in the California Central District Court, individually and on behalf of all purchasers of our common stock between February 26, 2019 and October 30, 2019. The consolidated class action complaint alleged that defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, and sought unspecified damages, costs and attorneys’ fees, and equitable relief.

As of December 31, 2021, we had accrued approximately $10 million of net expense in connection with an agreement in principle to settle the consolidated class action complaint. The parties executed a settlement agreement, settling all claims asserted in the class action complaint, and the settlement agreement was approved by the Central California District Court on April 13, 2022.

Shareholder Derivative Action

On June 3, 2021, Steffen Maute filed a complaint, derivatively on behalf of Merit, against Merit (as a nominal defendant), our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer, our former President of Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA,”) and certain of our directors in the United States District Court for the District of Utah (Case No. 2:21-cv-00346-DBP). The derivative complaint alleges that the individual defendants violated their fiduciary duties owed to Merit and were unjustly enriched at the expense of and to the detriment of Merit between February 2019 and October 2019, and seeks unspecified damages, costs, and professional fees. We intend to vigorously defend against the lawsuit. The proceeding was stayed until February 19, 2022, subject to the right of either party to seek to lift or extend the stay. The stay has expired, however the parties have been engaged in mediation in an attempt to resolve the dispute. We have not recorded an expense related to this matter because any potential loss is not reasonably estimable. Additionally, we cannot presently estimate the range of loss, if any, that may result from the matter. It is possible that the ultimate resolution of the foregoing matter, or other matters, if resolved in a manner unfavorable to us, may be materially adverse to our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Legal costs for proceedings, legal actions and claims discussed, such as outside counsel fees and expenses, are charged to expense in the period(s) incurred.