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Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies

Contingencies

In 2006, the Company completed the spin-offs of its Realogy and Wyndham subsidiaries. The Company does not believe that the impact of any resolution of pre-existing contingent liabilities in connection with the spin-offs should result in a material liability to the Company in relation to its consolidated financial position or liquidity, as Realogy and Wyndham each have agreed to assume responsibility for these liabilities. The Company is also named in litigation that is primarily related to the businesses of its former subsidiaries, including Realogy and Wyndham. The Company is entitled to indemnification from such entities for any liability resulting from such litigation.

In February 2015, the French Competition Authority issued a statement of objections alleging that several car rental companies, including the Company and two of its European subsidiaries, engaged with (i) twelve French airports, the majority of which are controlled by public administrative bodies or the French state, and violated competition law through the distribution by airports of company-specific statistics to car rental companies operating at those airports and (ii) two other international car rental companies in a concerted practice relating to train station surcharges. In February 2017, the Company was notified that the French Competition Authority dismissed the charges and cleared the Company and its subsidiaries of any wrongdoing.

In February 2017, following a state court trial in Georgia, a jury found the Company liable for damages in a case brought by a plaintiff who was injured in a vehicle accident allegedly caused by an employee of an independent contractor of the Company who was acting outside of the scope of employment. In March 2017, the Company was also found liable for damages in a companion case arising from the same incident. The Company considers the attribution of liability to the Company, and the amount of damages awarded, to be unsupported by the facts of these cases and intends to appeal the verdicts. At December 31, 2016, the Company had recognized a $26 million liability for the expected loss related to these cases. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company increased this liability by $13 million and during the three months ended June 30, 2017, recognized recoverable insurance proceeds of $27 million. Therefore, at June 30, 2017, the Company has recognized a net liability for the expected loss related to these cases of approximately $12 million.

The Company is involved in claims, legal proceedings and governmental inquiries related, among other things, to its vehicle rental operations, including contract and licensee disputes, competition matters, employment matters, insurance and liability claims, intellectual property claims, business practice disputes and other regulatory, environmental, commercial and tax matters. Litigation is inherently unpredictable and, although the Company believes that its accruals are adequate and/or that it has valid defenses in these matters, unfavorable resolutions could occur. The Company estimates that the potential exposure resulting from adverse outcomes of legal proceedings in which it is reasonably possible that a loss may be incurred could, in the aggregate, be up to approximately $50 million in excess of amounts accrued as of June 30, 2017; however, the Company does not believe that the impact should result in a material liability to the Company in relation to its consolidated financial condition or results of operations.

Commitments to Purchase Vehicles

The Company maintains agreements with vehicle manufacturers under which the Company has agreed to purchase approximately $1.7 billion of vehicles from manufacturers over the next 12 months. Certain of these commitments are subject to the vehicle manufacturers’ satisfying their obligations under their respective repurchase and guaranteed depreciation agreements. The purchase of such vehicles is financed primarily through the issuance of vehicle-backed debt and cash received upon the disposition of vehicles.

Concentrations

Concentrations of credit risk at June 30, 2017 include (i) risks related to the Company’s repurchase and guaranteed depreciation agreements with domestic and foreign car manufacturers, including Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Peugeot, Kia, Volkswagen, Fiat, Mercedes, Toyota and Volvo, and primarily with respect to receivables for program cars that have been disposed but for which the Company has not yet received payment from the manufacturers and (ii) risks related to Realogy and Wyndham, including receivables of $41 million and $25 million, respectively, related to certain contingent, income tax and other corporate liabilities assumed by Realogy and Wyndham in connection with their disposition.