Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Claims have been filed against the Company and certain of its affiliates in various jurisdictions across the United States by persons alleging bodily injury as a result of exposure to asbestos-containing products. Further information and detail on these claims are described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, in Note 20 therein, filed on February 24, 2020. During the first nine months of 2020, there were no material changes to the information described in the Form 10-K related to claims arising from asbestos exposure.

From time to time, the Company is involved in litigation related to claims arising out of the Company's operations in the ordinary course of business, including claims based on product liability, contracts, intellectual property, or other causes of action. Further information and detail on any potentially material litigation is as described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, in Note 20 therein, filed on February 24, 2020. Except as described below, there have been no material changes to the information described in the Form 10-K related to claims arising from Company's ordinary operations.

Xorail, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Xorail”), has received notices from Denver Transit Constructors (“DTC”) alleging breach of contract related to the operating of constant warning wireless crossings, and late delivery of the Train Management & Dispatch System (“TMDS”) for the Denver Eagle P3 Project, which is owned by the Denver Regional Transit District ("RTD"). No damages have been asserted for the alleged late delivery of the TMDS, and no formal claim has been filed. Xorail is in the final stages of successfully implementing a recovery plan concerning the TMDS issues. With regard to the wireless crossing issue, as of September 8, 2017, DTC alleged that total damages were $36.8 million through July 31, 2017 and are continuing to accumulate. The majority of the damages stems from a delay in approval of the wireless crossing system by the Federal Railway Administration ("FRA") and the Public Utility Commission ("PUC"), resulting in the use of flaggers at all of the crossings pending approval of the wireless crossing system and certification of the crossings. DTC has alleged that the delay is due to Xorail's failure to achieve constant warning times for the crossings in accordance with the approval requirements imposed by the FRA and PUC. Xorail has denied DTC's assertions, stating that its system satisfied the contractual requirements. Xorail has worked with DTC to modify its system and implement the FRA's and PUC's previously undefined approval requirements; the FRA and PUC have both approved the modified wireless crossing system, and as of August 2018, DTC completed the process of certifying the crossings and eliminated the use of flaggers. On September 21, 2018, DTC filed a complaint against RTD in Colorado state court for breach of contract related to non-payments and the costs for the flaggers, asserting a change-in-law arising from the FRA/PUC’s new certification requirements; a jury trial began September 21, 2020, and is ongoing. DTC’s complaint generally supports Xorail’s position and does not name or implicate Xorail; DTC has not updated its notices against Xorail, nor have they filed any formal claim against Xorail.

    On April 3, 2018, the Company and Knorr-Bremse AG entered into a consent decree with the United States Department of Justice resolving allegations that the Company and Knorr-Bremse AG had maintained unlawful agreements not to compete for each other’s employees.  The allegations also related to Faiveley Transport before it was acquired by the Company in November 2016.  No monetary fines or penalties were imposed on the Company. The Company elected to settle this matter with the Department of Justice to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation. Putative class action lawsuits thereafter were filed in several different federal district courts naming the Company and Knorr as defendants in connection with the allegations contained in the consent decree. A federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL) Panel consolidated the cases in the Western District of Pennsylvania, and on October 12, 2018, a consolidated class action complaint was filed in the Western District of PA with five named plaintiffs. On August 13, 2019, the Company was notified that co-defendant Knorr-Bremse settled with plaintiffs. On January 21, 2020, following Court-sponsored early mediation, the Company entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with plaintiffs, agreeing to settle all claims in the case. In March 2020, the Court issued preliminary approval of the agreed settlement terms and amount.