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Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jul. 02, 2011
Warranty Costs/Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
14. Commitments and Contingencies
General Litigation
The Company is involved in various pending legal proceedings arising out of the ordinary course of business. These proceedings primarily involve commercial claims, product liability claims, personal injury claims, and workers’ compensation claims. None of these legal proceedings are expected to have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition of the Company. With respect to these proceedings, management believes that the Company will prevail, has adequate insurance coverage or has established appropriate reserves to cover potential liabilities. Any costs that management estimates may be paid related to these proceedings or claims are accrued when the liability is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. There can be no assurance, however, as to the ultimate outcome of any of these matters, and if all or substantially all of these legal proceedings were to be determined adversely to the Company, there could be a material adverse effect on the results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition of the Company. As of July 2, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Company cannot estimate the likelihood or potential amount of the liability related to these proceedings. As a result, no amounts were accrued in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets for potential litigation losses at those dates.
The Company also risks exposure to product liability claims in connection with products it has sold and those sold by businesses that the Company acquired. Although in some cases third parties have retained responsibility for product liability claims relating to products manufactured or sold prior to the acquisition of the relevant business and in other cases the persons from whom the Company has acquired a business may be required to indemnify the Company for certain product liability claims subject to certain caps or limitations on indemnification, the Company cannot assure that those third parties will in fact satisfy their obligations with respect to liabilities retained by them or their indemnification obligations. If those third parties become unable to or otherwise do not comply with their respective obligations including indemnity obligations, or if certain product liability claims for which the Company is obligated were not retained by third parties or are not subject to these indemnities, the Company could become subject to significant liabilities or other adverse consequences. Moreover, even in cases where third parties retain responsibility for product liability claims or are required to indemnify the Company, significant claims arising from products that have been acquired could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to realize the benefits from an acquisition, could result in the reduction of the value of goodwill that the Company recorded in connection with an acquisition, or could otherwise have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, or operations.