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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Litigation

The medical device industry is characterized by frequent claims and litigation, and we are and may become subject to various claims, lawsuits and proceedings in the ordinary course of our business. Such claims may include claims by current or former employees, distributors and competitors, claims concerning the marketing and promotion of our products and product liability claims.

We are involved in a number of legal actions relating to the use of our Helium Plasma technology. The outcomes of these legal actions are not within our complete control and may not be known for prolonged periods of time. We believe that such claims are adequately covered by insurance; however, in the case of one of our carriers, we are in a dispute regarding the total level of coverage available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the opinion of management, the Company has meritorious defenses and such claims are not expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a material, adverse effect on our financial condition. However, in the event that damages exceed the aggregate coverage limits of our policies or if our insurance carriers disclaim coverage, we believe it is possible that costs associated with these claims could have a material adverse impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

On April 17, 2019, a complaint (the “Complaint”) was filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, against the Company and Charles D. Goodwin, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors, alleging certain violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  On July 16, 2019, the Court appointed lead plaintiff for the putative class and approved the lead plaintiff’s selection of counsel. On September 3, 2019, lead plaintiff filed an amended complaint (the “Amended Complaint”) with the Court. 

The Amended Complaint seeks class action status on behalf of all persons and entities that acquired the Company’s securities between December 21, 2018 and April 1, 2019, and alleges violations by the Company and Goodwin of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, primarily related to certain public statements concerning the Premarket Notification 510(k) submission made to the US Food and Drug Administration for a new indication for the Company’s J-Plasma® technology for use in dermal resurfacing procedures.  On October 3, 2019, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint, and on March 11, 2020, the Court denied that motion.  On July 10, 2020, the parties executed a settlement agreement, which was subject to Court approval. The Court preliminarily approved the settlement on July 21, 2020. The settlement agreement provides for the dismissal of the action with prejudice. On November 6, 2020, the Court issued its final order approving the settlement and dismissing the action and all claims contained in the Amended Complaint with prejudice. At September 30, 2020, we have settled and fully paid all obligations related to this matter.
We accrue a liability in our consolidated financial statements for these actions 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 recorded. If a loss is reasonably possible, but not known or probable, and can be reasonably estimated, the estimated loss or range of loss is disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements. In most cases, significant judgment is required to estimate the amount and timing of a loss to be recorded, actual results may differ from these estimates.

Purchase Commitments

At September 30, 2020, we had purchase commitments totaling approximately $1,800,000, substantially all of which is expected to be purchased within the next six months.

China Joint Venture

Our agreement in the China joint venture requires the Company to make a capital contribution into the newly formed entity of $357,000. As of the date of these consolidated financial statements, approximately $203,000 of our capital commitment remains to be funded.