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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure  
Commitments and Contingencies Note 21. Commitments and contingencies

Woodward is currently involved in claims, pending or threatened litigation or other legal proceedings, investigations and/or regulatory proceedings arising in the normal course of business, including, among others, those relating to product liability claims, employment matters, worker’s compensation claims, contractual disputes, product warranty claims and alleged violations of various laws and regulations. Woodward accrues for known individual matters using estimates of the most likely amount of loss where it believes that it is probable the matter will result in a loss when ultimately resolved and such loss is reasonably estimable.

Legal costs are expensed as incurred and are classified in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings.

Woodward is partially self-insured in the United States for healthcare and worker’s compensation up to predetermined amounts, above which third party insurance applies. Management regularly reviews the probable outcome of related claims and proceedings, the expenses expected to be incurred, the availability and limits of the insurance coverage, and the established accruals for liabilities.

While the outcome of pending claims, legal and regulatory proceedings, and investigations cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that any liabilities that may result from these claims, proceedings and investigations will not have a material effect on Woodward’s liquidity, financial condition, or results of operations.

In the event of a change in control of Woodward, as defined in change-in-control agreements with its current corporate officers, Woodward may be required to pay termination benefits to any such officer if such officer’s employment is terminated within two years following the change of control.

On April 9, 2019, Senvion, a German wind turbine manufacturer and a significant customer of Woodward’s renewables business, announced that it filed for self-administration insolvency proceedings and declared it would be exploring options for the sale or partial liquidation of the company. In parallel, Senvion announced that it has sought financing to secure the continuation of its operations, which it announced may allow the company to successfully exit the insolvency process. On April 17, 2019, Senvion announced that it signed a €100,000 bulk loan agreement with its lenders and major bondholders to enable the company to continue its business activities. Since signing the €100,000 bulk loan agreement, Senvion has entered into service contract extensions and has continued commercial operations. On July 30, 2019, Senvion announced that it has reached an agreement with its lenders which gives financial support for the continuation of its business until the end of August and potentially for a period thereafter if ongoing talks with lenders can be concluded successfully. Woodward will continue to analyze any financial and commercial impact of the Senvion insolvency proceedings, including any adverse effect the proceedings may have on its financial results. Although management believes any such effect would not be material to

Woodward as a whole, the impact of the potential loss of this customer would be significant to Woodward’s renewables business.