Litigation and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Litigation and Contingencies

NOTE 16. LITIGATION AND CONTINGENCIES

We are, from time to time, subject to a variety of litigation and other proceedings incidental to our business, including lawsuits involving claims for damages arising out of the use of our products, software and services, claims relating to intellectual property matters, employment matters, commercial disputes, and personal injury as well as regulatory investigations or enforcement. We may also become subject to lawsuits as a result of past or future acquisitions or as a result of liabilities retained from, or representations, warranties, or indemnities provided in connection with divested businesses. Some of these lawsuits may include claims for punitive and consequential as well as compensatory damages. Based upon our experience, current information and applicable law, we do not believe that these proceedings and claims will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

While we maintain workers compensation, property, cargo, automobile, crime, fiduciary, product, general, and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance (and have acquired rights under similar policies in connection with certain acquisitions) that cover a portion of these claims, this insurance may be insufficient or unavailable to cover such losses. In addition, while we believe we are entitled to indemnification from third parties for some of these claims, these rights may also be insufficient or unavailable to cover such losses. We maintain third party insurance policies up to certain limits to cover certain liability costs in excess of predetermined retained amounts. For most insured risks, we purchase outside insurance coverage only for severe losses (stop loss insurance) and reserves must be established and maintained with respect to amounts within the self-insured retention.

In accordance with accounting guidance, we record a liability in our consolidated financial statements for loss contingencies when a loss is known or considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If the reasonable estimate of a known or probable loss is a range, and no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other, the minimum amount of the range is accrued. If a loss does not meet the known or probable level but is reasonably possible and a loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated, the estimated loss or range of loss is disclosed. These reserves consist of specific reserves for individual claims and additional amounts for anticipated developments of these claims as well as for incurred but not yet reported claims. The specific reserves for individual known claims are quantified with the assistance of legal counsel and outside risk insurance professionals where appropriate. In addition, outside risk insurance professionals may assist in the determination of reserves for incurred but not yet reported claims through evaluation of our specific loss history, actual claims reported, and industry trends among statistical and other factors. Reserve estimates are adjusted as additional information regarding a claim becomes known. While we actively pursue financial recoveries from insurance providers, we do not recognize any recoveries until realized or until such time as a sustained pattern of collections is established related to historical

matters of a similar nature and magnitude. If risk insurance reserves we have established are inadequate, we would be required to incur an expense equal to the amount of the loss incurred in excess of the reserves, which would adversely affect our net earnings. Refer to Note 9 for information about the amount of our accruals for self-insurance and litigation liability.

In addition, our operations, products, and services are subject to environmental laws and regulations in various jurisdictions, which impose limitations on the discharge of pollutants into the environment and establish standards for the generation, use, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. A number of our operations involve the handling, manufacturing, use, or sale of substances that are or could be classified as hazardous materials within the meaning of applicable laws. We must also comply with various health and safety regulations in both the United States and abroad in connection with our operations. Compliance with these laws and regulations has not had and, based on current information and the applicable laws and regulations currently in effect, is not expected to have a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position, and we do not anticipate material capital expenditures for environmental control facilities.

In addition to environmental compliance costs, from time to time, we incur costs related to alleged damages associated with past or current waste disposal practices or other hazardous materials handling practices. For example, generators of hazardous substances found in disposal sites at which environmental problems are alleged to exist, as well as the current and former owners of those sites and certain other classes of persons, are subject to claims brought by state and federal regulatory agencies pursuant to statutory authority. We have received notification from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and from state and non-U.S. environmental agencies, that conditions at certain sites where we and others previously disposed of hazardous wastes and/or are or were property owners require clean-up and other possible remedial action, including sites where we have been identified as a potentially responsible party under United States federal and state environmental laws. We have projects underway at a number of current and former facilities, in both the United States and abroad, to investigate and remediate environmental contamination resulting from past operations. Remediation activities generally relate to soil and/or groundwater contamination and may include pre-remedial activities such as fact-finding and investigation, risk assessment, feasibility study and/or design, as well as remediation actions such as contaminant removal, monitoring and/or installation, operation and maintenance of longer-term remediation systems. From time to time we are also party to personal injury or other claims brought by private parties alleging injury due to the presence of, or exposure to, hazardous substances.

We have recorded a provision for environmental investigation and remediation and environmental-related claims with respect to sites we and our subsidiaries owned or formerly owned and third party sites where we have been determined to be a potentially responsible party. We generally make an assessment of the costs involved for our remediation efforts based on environmental studies, as well as our prior experience with similar sites. The ultimate cost of site cleanup is difficult to predict given the uncertainties of our involvement in certain sites, uncertainties regarding the extent of the required cleanup, the availability of alternative cleanup methods, variations in the interpretation of applicable laws and regulations, the possibility of insurance recoveries with respect to certain sites and the fact that imposition of joint and several liability with right of contribution is possible under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 and other environmental laws and regulations. If we determine that potential liability for a particular site or with respect to a personal injury claim is known or considered probable and reasonably estimable, we accrue the total estimated loss, including investigation and remediation costs, associated with the site or claim. As of December 31, 2019, we had a reserve of $13 million included in Accrued expenses and Other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for environmental matters that are known or considered probable and reasonably estimable, which reflects our best estimate of the costs to be incurred with respect to such matters on an undiscounted basis.

All reserves for environmental liabilities have been recorded without giving effect to any possible future third party recoveries. While we actively pursue insurance recoveries, as well as recoveries from other potentially responsible parties, we do not recognize any insurance recoveries for environmental liability claims until realized or until such time as a sustained pattern of collections is established related to historical matters of a similar nature and magnitude.

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had approximately $121 million and $138 million, respectively, of guarantees consisting primarily of outstanding standby letters of credit, bank guarantees, and performance and bid bonds. These guarantees have been provided in connection with certain arrangements with vendors, customers, financing counterparties and governmental entities to secure our obligations and/or performance requirements related to specific transactions. We believe that if the obligations under these instruments were triggered, they would not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.