19. CONTINGENCIES
We are involved in litigation arising in the ordinary course of conducting business. We carry insurance for workers' compensation claims from our employees and general liability for claims from independent contractors, customers, and guests. We are self-insured up to an aggregate stop loss for our general liability and workers' compensation coverages.
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 the 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. 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.
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 impact on our business.
About Commitments Disclosures
Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.
Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.