Legal Proceedings (Notes)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Legal Proceedings [Abstract]

Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block]

Legal Proceedings

On August 15, 2014, a customer filed a purported class action complaint against the Bank in the Circuit Court, Jackson County, Missouri.  The case is Cassandra Warren, et al v. Commerce Bank (Case No. 1416-CV19197).  In the case, the customer alleges violation of the Missouri usury statute in connection with the Bank charging overdraft fees in connection with point-of-sale/debit and automated-teller machine cards. The case seeks class-action status for Missouri customers of the Bank who may have been similarly affected.  The Company believes the complaint lacks merit and will defend itself vigorously. The amount of any ultimate exposure cannot be determined with certainty at this time.

The Company has various other lawsuits pending at September 30, 2015, arising in the normal course of business. While some matters pending against the Company specify damages claimed by plaintiffs, others do not seek a specified amount of damages or are at very early stages of the legal process. The Company records a loss accrual for all legal matters for which it deems a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated. Some legal matters, which are at early stages in the legal process, have not yet progressed to the point where a loss amount can be determined to be probable and estimable.