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Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of presentation
Basis of presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and include the accounts of Indemnity together with its affiliated companies in which Indemnity holds a majority voting or economic interest.
Use of estimates
Use of estimates 
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Principles of consolidation
Principles of consolidation
We consolidate the Exchange as a variable interest entity for which Indemnity is the primary beneficiary.  All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.  The required presentation of noncontrolling interests is reflected in the consolidated financial statements.  Noncontrolling interests represent the ownership interests of the Exchange, all of which is held by parties other than Indemnity (i.e., the Exchange’s subscribers (policyholders)).  Noncontrolling interests also include the Exchange subscribers’ ownership interest in EFL.
 
Presentation of assets and liabilities – While the assets of the Exchange are presented separately in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position, the Exchange’s assets can only be used to satisfy the Exchange’s liabilities or for other unrestricted activities.  Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810, Consolidation, does not require separate presentation of the Exchange’s assets;  however, because the shareholders of Indemnity have no rights to the assets of the Exchange and, conversely, the Exchange has no rights to the assets of Indemnity, we have presented the invested assets of the Exchange separately on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position along with the remaining consolidated assets reflecting the Exchange’s portion parenthetically.  Liabilities are required under ASC 810, Consolidation, to be presented separately for the Exchange on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as the Exchange’s creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of Indemnity.
 
Rights of shareholders of Indemnity and subscribers (policyholders) of the Exchange – The shareholders of Indemnity, through the management fee, have a controlling financial interest in the Exchange; however, they have no other rights to or obligations arising from assets and liabilities of the Exchange.  The shareholders of Indemnity own its equity but have no rights or interest in the Exchange’s (noncontrolling interest) income or equity.  The noncontrolling interest equity represents the Exchange’s equity held for the interest of its subscribers (policyholders), who have no rights or interest in the Indemnity shareholder interest income or equity.
 
All intercompany assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses between Indemnity and the Exchange have been eliminated in the Consolidated Financial Statements.
New accounting standards
Adopted accounting standards
In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2013-02, Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income.  ASU 2013-02 requires entities to present in either a single note or parenthetically on the face of the financial statements the effect of significant amounts reclassified from each component of accumulated other comprehensive income based on its source and the income statement line affected by the reclassification. ASU 2013-02 was effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012.  We adopted the guidance effective January 1, 2013 and disclose reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive income and the impact on our consolidated financial statements in Note 18, "Indemnity Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss".
 
Recently issued accounting standards
In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, “Consolidation”, which changes the analysis that a reporting entity must perform to determine whether it should consolidate certain types of legal entities. ASU 2015-02 modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships are variable interest entities and the consolidation analysis of reporting entities that are involved in variable interest entities, particularly those that have fee arrangements and related party relationships.  All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under this revised consolidation model. ASU 2015-02 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period.  We are currently evaluating this new guidance and have not yet determined the impact that the adoption of this new consolidation model will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 clarifies the
principles for recognizing revenue and provides a common revenue standard for GAAP. The core principle of the guidance is
that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the
consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Insurance contracts are not
within the scope of this guidance. ASU 2014-09 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early application is not permitted. We do not expect the adoption of ASU 2014-09 related to the management fee and service agreement revenue to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Investments - Available-for-sale securities
Available-for-sale securities – Fixed maturity, preferred stock, and common stock securities classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value.  Unrealized holding gains and losses, net of related tax effects, on available-for-sale securities are recorded directly to shareholders’ equity as accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
 
Common stock securities classified as available-for-sale represent certain exchange traded funds with underlying holdings of fixed maturity securities.
 
Realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities are recognized in income based upon the specific identification method.  Interest and dividend income are recognized as earned.
 
Fixed income and redeemable preferred stock (debt securities) are evaluated monthly for other-than-temporary impairment loss.  For debt securities that have experienced a decline in fair value and that we intend to sell, or for which it is more likely than not we will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost, an other-than-temporary impairment is deemed to have occurred, and is recognized in earnings.
 
Debt securities that have experienced a decline in fair value and that we do not intend to sell, and that we will not be required to sell before recovery, are evaluated to determine if the decline in fair value is other-than-temporary.
 
Some factors considered in this evaluation include:
the extent and duration to which fair value is less than cost;
historical operating performance and financial condition of the issuer;
short and long-term prospects of the issuer and its industry based upon analysts’ recommendations;
specific events that occurred affecting the issuer, including a ratings downgrade;
near term liquidity position of the issuer; and
compliance with financial covenants.
 
If a decline is deemed to be other-than-temporary, an assessment is made to determine the amount of the total impairment related to a credit loss and that related to all other factors.  Consideration is given to all available information relevant to the collectability of the security in this determination. If the entire amortized cost basis of the security will not be recovered, a credit loss exists.  Currently, we have the intent to sell all of our securities that have been determined to have a credit-related impairment.  As a result, the entire amount of any impairment would be recognized in earnings.  If we had securities with credit impairments that we did not intend to sell, the non-credit portion of the impairment would be recorded in other comprehensive income. 
 
Other-than-temporary impairment charges on non-redeemable preferred securities, hybrid securities with equity characteristics and common stock are included in earnings consistent with the treatment for equity securities.
Investments - Trading securities
Trading securities – Common stock securities classified as trading securities are reported at fair value.  Unrealized holding gains and losses on trading securities are included in net realized gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.  Realized gains and losses on sales of trading securities are recognized in income based upon the specific identification method.  Dividend income is recognized as of the ex-dividend date.
Investments - Limited partnerships
Limited partnerships – Limited partnerships include U.S. and foreign private equity, mezzanine debt, and real estate investments.  The majority of our limited partnership holdings are considered investment companies and are recorded using the equity method of accounting. For these limited partnerships the general partners record assets at fair value, including any other-than-temporary impairments of these individual investments. We also own some real estate limited partnerships that do not meet the criteria of an investment company. These partnerships prepare audited financial statements on a cost basis. We have elected to report these limited partnerships under the fair value option, which is based on the net asset value (NAV) from our partner’s capital statement reflecting the general partner’s estimate of fair value for the fund’s underlying assets. Limited partnerships reported under the fair value option are disclosed in Note 6, “Fair Value” as other investments. Fair value provides consistency in the evaluation and financial reporting for these limited partnerships and limited partnerships accounted for under the equity method.
 
Because of the timing of the preparation and delivery of financial statements for limited partnership investments, the use of the most recently available financial statements provided by the general partners results in a quarter delay in the inclusion of the limited partnership results in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.  Due to this delay, these financial statements do not yet reflect the market conditions experienced in the fourth quarter of 2014 for all partnerships other than the real estate limited partnerships that are reported under the fair value option.
 
Nearly all of the underlying investments in our limited partnerships are valued using a source other than quoted prices in active markets.  The fair value amounts for our private equity and mezzanine debt partnerships are based upon the financial statements of the general partners, who use multiple methods to estimate fair value including the market approach, income approach or the cost approach.  The market approach uses prices and other pertinent information from market-generated transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities.  Such valuation techniques often use market multiples derived from a set of comparables.  The income approach uses valuation techniques to convert future cash flows or earnings to a single discounted present value amount.  The measurement is based upon the value indicated by current market expectations on those future amounts.  The cost approach is derived from the amount that is currently required to replace the service capacity of an asset.  If information becomes available that would impair the cost of investments owned by the partnerships, then the general partner would adjust to the net realizable value.  For real estate limited partnerships, the general partners record these at fair value based upon an independent appraisal or internal estimates of fair value.
 
While we perform various procedures in review of the general partners’ valuations, we rely on the general partners’ financial statements as the best available information to record our share of the partnership unrealized gains and losses resulting from valuation changes. Due to the limited market for these investments, there is a greater potential for market price variability.
 
Unrealized gains and losses for these investments are reflected in equity in earnings (losses) of limited partnerships in our Consolidated Statements of Operations in accordance with the equity method of accounting or the fair value option, as applicable.  Cash contributions made to and distributions received from the partnerships are recorded in the period in which the transaction occurs.
Investments - Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents – Short-term investments, consisting of cash, money market accounts and other short-term, highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase, are considered cash and cash equivalents.
Deferred acquisition costs
Deferred acquisition costs
Costs that vary with and directly relate to the successful acquisition of new and renewal insurance and investment-type contracts are deferred. These costs are principally commissions, premium taxes and policy issuance expenses.
 
Property and casualty insurance – DAC is amortized as premiums are earned over the applicable policy term.  Investment income is considered in determining the recoverability of DAC. If a premium deficiency exists, it would first be recognized by charging any unamortized acquisition costs to expense. If the premium deficiency were greater than unamortized acquisition costs, a liability would be accrued for the excess deficiency. There was no reduction in costs deferred in any periods presented.  Profitability is analyzed annually to ensure recoverability. 
 
Life insurance – DAC related to traditional life insurance products is amortized in proportion to premium revenues over the premium-paying period of related policies using assumptions about mortality, morbidity, lapse rates, expenses, and future yield on related investments established when the policy was issued.  Amortization is adjusted each period to reflect policy lapse or termination rates as compared to anticipated experience.  DAC related to universal life products and deferred annuities is amortized over the estimated lives of the contracts in proportion to actual and expected future gross profits, investment, mortality, expense margins, and surrender charges.  Historical and anticipated investment returns, including realized gains and losses, are considered in determining the amortization of DAC.
 
Estimated gross profits are adjusted monthly to reflect actual experience to date and/or for the unlocking of underlying key assumptions based upon experience studies.  DAC is periodically reviewed for recoverability.  For traditional life products, if the benefit reserves plus anticipated future premiums and interest earnings for a line of business are less than the current estimate of future benefits and expenses (including any unamortized DAC), a charge to income is recorded for additional DAC amortization or for increased benefit reserves.  For universal life and deferred annuities, if the current present value of future expected gross profits is less than the unamortized DAC, a charge to income is recorded for additional DAC amortization.
Deferred taxes
Deferred taxes
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and the reported amounts in the consolidated financial statements, using the statutory tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse.  The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date under the law.  Valuation allowances on deferred tax assets are estimated based upon our assessment of the realizability of such amounts.
Property and casualty unpaid losses and loss expenses
Property and casualty unpaid losses and loss expenses
Unpaid losses and loss expenses include estimates for claims that have been reported and those that have been incurred but not reported, as well as estimates of all expenses associated with processing and settling these claims, less estimates of anticipated salvage and subrogation recoveries.  Unpaid loss and loss expense reserves are set at ultimate cost, except for workers compensation loss reserves, which have been discounted using an interest rate of 2.5%.  Estimating the ultimate cost of future losses and loss expenses is an uncertain and complex process.  This estimation process is based upon the assumption that past developments are an appropriate indicator of future events, and involves a variety of actuarial techniques that analyze experience, trends, and other relevant factors.  The uncertainties involved with the reserving process include internal factors, such as changes in claims handling procedures, as well as external factors, such as economic trends and changes in the concepts of legal liability and damage awards.  Accordingly, final loss settlements may vary from the present estimates, particularly when those payments may not occur until well into the future.
 
We regularly review the adequacy of our estimated loss and loss expense reserves by line of business.  Adjustments to previously established reserves are reflected in the operating results of the period in which the adjustment is determined to be necessary.  Such adjustments could possibly be significant, reflecting any variety of new and adverse or favorable trends.
Life insurance reserves
Life insurance reserves
The liability for future benefits of life insurance contracts is the present value of such benefits less the present value of future net premiums.  Life insurance and income-paying annuity future policy benefit reserves are computed primarily by the net level premium method with assumptions as to mortality, withdrawal, lapses, and investment yields.  Traditional life insurance products are subject to loss recognition testing.  The adequacy of the related reserves is verified as part of loss recognition testing.  Loss recognition is necessary when the sum of the reserve and the present value of projected policy cash flows is less than unamortized DAC.
 
Deferred annuity future benefit reserves are established at accumulated account values without reduction for surrender charges.  These account values are credited with varying interest rates determined at the discretion of EFL subject to certain minimums.
Agent bonus estimates
Agent bonus estimates
Agent bonuses are based upon an individual agency’s property and casualty underwriting profitability and also include a component for growth in agency property and casualty premiums if the agency’s underwriting profitability targets for our book of business are met.  The estimate for agent bonuses, which are based upon the performance over 36 months, is modeled on a monthly basis using actual underwriting data by agency for the prior two years combined with the current year-to-date actual data.
 
At December 31 of each year, we use actual data available and record an accrual based upon the expected payment amount.  These costs are included in the policy acquisition and underwriting expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Recognition of premium revenues and losses
Recognition of premium revenues and losses
Property and casualty insurance – Insurance premiums written are earned over the terms of the policies on a pro-rata basis. Premiums receivable from policyholders represent premiums written but not yet collected. Premiums receivable are reported net of an allowance for uncollectible premiums.  Unearned premiums represent that portion of premiums written which is applicable to the unexpired terms of policies in force.  Losses and loss expenses are recorded as incurred.
 
Life insurance – Premiums on traditional life insurance products are recognized as revenue when due.  Reserves for future policy benefits are established when premiums are earned.  Premiums received for annuity and universal life products are reported as deposits and included in liabilities.  For universal life products, revenue is recognized when amounts are assessed against the policyholder’s account for mortality coverage and contract expenses.  The primary source of revenue on annuity deposits is derived from the interest earned by EFL, which is reflected in net investment income.
Reinsurance
Reinsurance
Property and casualty insurance – Property and casualty assumed and ceded reinsurance premiums are earned over the terms of the reinsurance contracts.  Premiums ceded to other companies are reported as a reduction of premium income.  Reinsurance contracts do not relieve the Property and Casualty Group from its obligations to policyholders.
 
Life insurance – Reinsurance premiums, commissions, and expense reimbursements on reinsurance ceded on life insurance policies are accounted for on a basis consistent with those used in accounting for the underlying reinsured policies.  Expense reimbursements received in connection with new reinsurance ceded have been accounted for as a reduction of the related policy acquisition costs.  Amounts recoverable from reinsurers for future policy benefits are estimated in a manner consistent with the assumptions used for the underlying policy benefits.  Amounts recoverable for incurred claims, future policy benefits, and expense reimbursements are recorded as assets.  Reinsurance contracts do not relieve EFL from its obligations to policyholders.
Recognition of management fee revenue
Recognition of management fee revenue
Indemnity earns management fees from the Exchange for providing sales, underwriting, and policy issuance services.  Pursuant to the subscriber’s agreements with the policyholders at the Exchange, Indemnity may retain up to 25% of all premiums written or assumed by the Exchange.  Management fee revenue is calculated by multiplying the management fee rate by the direct premiums written by the Exchange and the other members of the Property and Casualty Group, which are assumed by the Exchange under an intercompany pooling arrangement.  The Property and Casualty Group issues policies with annual terms only.  Management fees are recorded as revenue upon policy issuance or renewal, as substantially all of the services required to be performed by us have been satisfied at that time.  Certain activities are performed and related costs are incurred by us subsequent to policy issuance in connection with the services provided to the Exchange; however, these activities are inconsequential and perfunctory.  Management fee revenue is eliminated upon consolidation.
Recognition of service agreement revenue
Recognition of service agreement revenue
Included in service agreement revenue are service charges Indemnity collects from policyholders for providing multiple payment plans on policies written by the Property and Casualty Group.  Service charges, which are flat dollar charges for each installment billed beyond the first installment, are recognized as revenue when bills are rendered to the policyholder.  Service agreement revenue also includes late payment and policy reinstatement fees.  Service agreement revenue is included in other income in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Earnings per share
Class A and Class B basic earnings per share and Class B diluted earnings per share are calculated under the two-class method. The two-class method allocates earnings to each class of stock based upon its dividend rights.  Class B shares are convertible into Class A shares at a conversion ratio of 2,400 to 1. See Note 17, “Indemnity Capital Stock.”

Class A diluted earnings per share are calculated under the if-converted method, which reflects the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares. Diluted earnings per share calculations include the dilutive effect of assumed issuance of stock-based awards under compensation plans using the treasury stock method. See Note 16, "Incentive and Deferred Compensation Plans."
Consolidation of variable interest entity
Erie Insurance Exchange
The Exchange is a reciprocal insurance exchange domiciled in Pennsylvania, for which Indemnity serves as attorney-in-fact.  Indemnity holds a variable interest in the Exchange due to the absence of decision-making capabilities by the equity owners (subscribers/policyholders) of the Exchange and due to the significance of the management fee the Exchange pays to Indemnity as its decision maker.  As a result, Indemnity is deemed to have a controlling financial interest in the Exchange and is considered to be its primary beneficiary.
 
Consolidation of the Exchange’s financial results is required given the significance of the management fee to the Exchange and because Indemnity has the power to direct the activities of the Exchange that most significantly impact the Exchange’s economic performance.  The Exchange’s anticipated economic performance is the product of its underwriting results combined with its investment results.  The fees paid to Indemnity under the subscriber’s agreement impact the anticipated economic performance attributable to the Exchange’s results.  Indemnity earns a management fee from the Exchange for the services it provides as attorney-in-fact.  Indemnity’s management fee revenues are based upon all premiums written or assumed by the Exchange.  Indemnity’s Board of Directors determines the management fee rate to be paid by the Exchange to Indemnity.  This rate cannot exceed 25% of the direct and assumed written premiums of the Exchange, as defined by the subscriber’s agreement signed by each policyholder.  Management fee revenues and management fee expenses are eliminated upon consolidation.
 
The shareholders of Indemnity have no rights to the assets of the Exchange and no obligations arising from the liabilities of the Exchange.  Indemnity has no obligation related to any underwriting and/or investment losses experienced by the Exchange.  Indemnity would, however, be adversely impacted if the Exchange incurred significant underwriting and/or investment losses.  If the surplus of the Exchange were to decline significantly from its current level, its financial strength ratings could be reduced and, as a consequence, the Exchange could find it more difficult to retain its existing business and attract new business.  A decline in the business of the Exchange would have an adverse effect on the amount of the management fees Indemnity receives.  In addition, a decline in the surplus of the Exchange from its current level may impact the management fee rate received by Indemnity.  Indemnity also has an exposure to a concentration of credit risk related to the unsecured receivables due from the Exchange for its management fee.  If any of these events occurred, Indemnity’s financial position, financial performance, and/or cash flows could be adversely impacted.

All property and casualty and life insurance operations are owned by the Exchange, and Indemnity functions solely as the management company.
 
Indemnity has not provided financial or other support to the Exchange for any of the reporting periods presented.  At December 31, 2014, there are no explicit or implicit arrangements that would require Indemnity to provide future financial support to the Exchange.  Indemnity is not liable if the Exchange was to be in violation of its debt covenants or was unable to meet its obligation for unfunded commitments to limited partnerships.
Fair value of financial instruments
Our available-for-sale and trading securities are recorded at fair value, which is the price that would be received to sell the asset in an orderly transaction between willing market participants as of the measurement date.
 
Valuation techniques used to derive the fair value of our available-for-sale and trading securities are based upon observable and unobservable inputs.  Observable inputs reflect market data obtained from independent sources.  Unobservable inputs reflect our own assumptions regarding fair market value for these securities.  Although the majority of our prices are obtained from third party sources, we also perform an internal pricing review for securities with low trading volumes under current market conditions.  Financial instruments are categorized based upon the following characteristics or inputs to the valuation techniques:
 
Level 1 – Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity can access at the measurement date.

Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.
 
Estimates of fair values for our investment portfolio are obtained primarily from a nationally recognized pricing service.  Our Level 1 category includes those securities valued using an exchange traded price provided by the pricing service.  The methodologies used by the pricing service that support a Level 2 classification of a financial instrument include multiple verifiable, observable inputs including benchmark yields, reported trades, broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids, offers, and reference data.  Pricing service valuations for Level 3 securities are based upon proprietary models and are used when observable inputs are not available or in illiquid markets.
 
In limited circumstances we adjust the price received from the pricing service when, in our judgment, a better reflection of fair value is available based upon corroborating information and our knowledge and monitoring of market conditions such as a disparity in price of comparable securities and/or non-binding broker quotes.  In other circumstances, certain securities are internally priced because prices are not provided by the pricing service.
 
We perform continuous reviews of the prices obtained from the pricing service.  This includes evaluating the methodology and inputs used by the pricing service to ensure that we determine the proper classification level of the financial instrument.  Price variances, including large periodic changes, are investigated and corroborated by market data.  We have reviewed the pricing methodologies of our pricing service as well as other observable inputs, such as data, and transaction volumes and believe that the prices adequately consider market activity in determining fair value.  Our review process continues to evolve based upon accounting guidance and requirements.
 
When a price from the pricing service is not available, values are determined by obtaining broker/dealer quotes and/or market comparables.  When available, we obtain multiple quotes for the same security.  The ultimate value for these securities is determined based upon our best estimate of fair value using corroborating market information.  Our evaluation includes the consideration of benchmark yields, reported trades, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids, offers, and reference data.
 
For certain securities in an illiquid market, there may be no prices available from a pricing service and no comparable market quotes available.  In these situations, we value the security using an internally-developed, risk-adjusted, discounted cash flow model.
Fair value of financial instruments, transfers between levels
We review the fair value hierarchy classifications each reporting period. Transfers between hierarchy levels may occur due to changes in available market observable inputs. Transfers in and out of level classifications are reported as having occurred at the beginning of the quarter in which the transfers occurred.
Capitalized software development costs for internal use
We capitalize computer software costs developed or obtained for internal use.  Capitalized costs include internal and external labor and overhead.  Capitalization ceases and amortization begins no later than the point at which a computer software project is complete and ready for its intended use.  Capitalized software costs are amortized over the estimated useful life of the software.
Commitments and contingencies
We are involved in litigation arising in the ordinary course of conducting business.  In accordance with current accounting standards for loss contingencies and based upon information currently known to us, we establish reserves for litigation when it is probable that a loss associated with a claim or proceeding has been incurred and the amount of the loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated.  When no amount within the range of loss is a better estimate than any other amount, we accrue the minimum amount of the estimable loss.  To the extent that such litigation against us may have an exposure to a loss in excess of the amount we have accrued, we believe that such excess would not be material to our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.  Legal fees are expensed as incurred.  We believe that our accruals for legal proceedings are appropriate and, individually and in the aggregate, are not expected to be material to our consolidated financial condition, operations, or cash flows.

We review all litigation on an ongoing basis when making accrual and disclosure decisions.  For certain legal proceedings, we cannot reasonably estimate losses or a range of loss, if any, particularly for proceedings that are in their early stages of development or where the plaintiffs seek indeterminate damages.  Various factors, including, but not limited to, the outcome of potentially lengthy discovery and the resolution of important factual questions, may need to be determined before probability can be established or before a loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated.  If the loss contingency in question is not both probable and reasonably estimable, we do not establish an accrual and the matter will continue to be monitored for any developments that would make the loss contingency both probable and reasonably estimable.  In the event that a legal proceeding results in a substantial judgment against, or settlement by, us, there can be no assurance that any resulting liability or financial commitment would not have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows of the Indemnity shareholder interest or the consolidated financial statements of Erie Indemnity Company.