Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Loss Contingency [Abstract]

Contingencies

Contingencies

Roper, in the ordinary course of business, is party to various pending or threatened legal actions, including product liability, intellectual property, data privacy and employment practices that, in general, are of a nature consistent with those over the past several years. After analyzing the Company’s contingent liabilities on a gross basis and, based upon past experience with resolution of such legal claims and the availability and limits of the primary, excess, and umbrella liability insurance coverages with respect to pending claims, management believes that adequate provision has been made to cover any potential liability not covered by insurance, and that the ultimate liability, if any, arising from these actions should not have a material adverse effect on Roper’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, no assurances can be given in this regard.

Roper’s subsidiary, Vertafore, Inc., was named in three putative class actions, two in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Allen, et al. v. Vertafore, Inc., Case 4:20-cv-4139, filed December 4, 2020) and Masciotra, et al. v. Vertafore, Inc. (originally filed on December 8, 2020 as Case 1:20-cv-03603 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and subsequently transferred), and one in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Mulvey, et al. v. Vertafore, Inc., Case 3:21-cv-00213-E, filed January 31, 2021). In July 2021, the court granted Vertafore’s motion to dismiss the Allen Case. Plaintiff has appealed the dismissal to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In July 2021, the plaintiff in the Masciotra case voluntarily dismissed his action without prejudice. The Allen case and the Mulvey case each purport to represent approximately 27.7 million individuals who held Texas driver’s licenses prior to February 2019. In November 2020, Vertafore announced that as a result of human error, three data files were inadvertently stored in an unsecured external storage service that appears to have been accessed without authorization. The files, which included driver information for licenses issued before February 2019, contained Texas driver license numbers, as well as names, dates of birth, addresses and vehicle registration histories. The files did not contain any Social Security numbers or financial account information. These cases seek recovery under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2721. Vertafore is vigorously defending the cases. In addition, Roper was advised that the Texas Attorney General is investigating the data event.

Roper’s subsidiary, Verathon, Inc. (“Verathon”), is defending a patent infringement action pending in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington (Berall v. Verathon, Inc., Case No. 2:2021mc00043). Plaintiff claims that video laryngoscopes and certain accessories sold by Verathon from approximately 2006 through 2016 infringe U.S. Patent 5,827,178 (the “‘178 Patent”). The complaint seeks an unspecified amount of damages, enhanced damages, attorneys’ fees, costs, and pre- and post-judgment interest. Verathon contends that the products at issue do not infringe the ‘178 Patent and that the ‘178 Patent is invalid. Verathon is vigorously defending the matter.

Roper or its subsidiaries have been named defendants along with numerous industrial companies in asbestos-related litigation claims in certain U.S. states. No significant resources have been required by Roper to respond to these cases and Roper believes it has valid defenses to such claims and, if required, intends to defend them vigorously. Given the state of these claims, it is not possible to determine the potential liability, if any.

As of December 31, 2021, Roper had $84.9 of letters of credit issued to guarantee its performance under certain services contracts or to support certain insurance programs and $659.7 of outstanding surety bonds of which $634.2 are directly associated with our Transcore business. Certain contracts, primarily those involving public sector customers, require Roper to provide a surety bond as a guarantee of its performance of contractual obligations.