Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

20. Commitments and Contingencies

Principal leases are for machinery and equipment, vehicles, and real property. Certain leases contain renewal and purchase option provisions at fair values. Total rental expense amounted to $5.5 million in 2018, $4.9 million in 2017, and $5.2 million in 2016.

Future rental payments required under operating leases that have initial or remaining non-cancelable lease terms in excess of one year, as of December 31, 2018, are: 2019, $4.6 million; 2020, $3.2 million; 2021, $2.1 million; 2022, $1.5 million; and 2023 and thereafter, $6.5 million.

Asbestos Litigation

Albany International Corp. is a defendant in suits brought in various courts in the United States by plaintiffs who allege that they have suffered personal injury as a result of exposure to asbestos-containing paper machine clothing synthetic dryer fabrics marketed during the period from 1967 to 1976 and used in certain paper mills.

We were defending 3,684 claims as of December 31, 2018.

The following table sets forth the number of claims filed, the number of claims settled, dismissed or otherwise resolved, and the aggregate settlement amount during the periods presented:

Year ended December 31,	Opening Number of Claims	Claims Dismissed, Settled, or Resolved	New Claims	Closing Number of Claims	Amounts Paid (thousands) to Settle or Resolve
2013	4,463	230	66	4,299	$78
2014	4,299	625	147	3,821	437
2015	3,821	116	86	3,791	164
2016	3,791	148	102	3,745	758
2017	3,745	105	90	3,730	55
2018	3,730	152	106	3,684	$100

We anticipate that additional claims will be filed against the Company and related companies in the future, but are unable to predict the number and timing of such future claims. Due to the fact that information sufficient to meaningfully estimate a range of possible loss of a particular claim is typically not available until late in the discovery process, we do not believe a meaningful estimate can be made regarding the range of possible loss with respect to pending or future claims and therefore are unable to estimate a range of reasonably possible loss in excess of amounts already accrued for pending or future claims.

While we believe we have meritorious defenses to these claims, we have settled certain claims for amounts we consider reasonable given the facts and circumstances of each case. Our insurance carrier has defended each case and funded settlements under a standard reservation of rights. As of December 31, 2018 we had resolved, by means of settlement or dismissal, 37,746 claims. The total cost of resolving all claims was $10.3 million. Of this amount, almost 100% was paid by our insurance carrier, who has confirmed that we have approximately $140 million of remaining coverage under primary and excess policies that should be available with respect to current and future asbestos claims.

The Company’s subsidiary, Brandon Drying Fabrics, Inc. (“Brandon”), is also a separate defendant in many of the asbestos cases in which Albany is named as a defendant, despite never having manufactured any fabrics containing asbestos. While Brandon was defending against 7,708 claims as of December 31, 2018, only ten claims have been filed against Brandon since January 1, 2012, and no settlement costs have been incurred since 2001. Brandon was acquired by the Company in 1999, and has its own insurance policies covering periods prior to 1999. Since 2004, Brandon’s insurance carriers have covered 100% of indemnification and defense costs, subject to policy limits and a standard reservation of rights.

In some of these asbestos cases, the Company is named both as a direct defendant and as the “successor in interest” to Mount Vernon Mills (“Mount Vernon”). We acquired certain assets from Mount Vernon in 1993. Certain plaintiffs allege injury caused by asbestos-containing products alleged to have been sold by Mount Vernon many years prior to this acquisition. Mount Vernon is contractually obligated to indemnify the Company against any liability arising out of such products. We deny any liability for products sold by Mount Vernon prior to the acquisition of the Mount Vernon assets. Pursuant to its contractual indemnification obligations, Mount Vernon has assumed the defense of these claims. On this basis, we have successfully moved for dismissal in a number of actions.

We currently do not anticipate, based on currently available information, that the ultimate resolution of the aforementioned proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations, or cash flows of the Company. Although we cannot predict the number and timing of future claims, based on the foregoing factors, the trends in claims filed against us, and available insurance, we also do not currently anticipate that potential future claims will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.