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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Legal Contingencies Eaton is subject to a broad range of claims, administrative and legal proceedings such as lawsuits that relate to contractual allegations, tax audits, patent infringement, personal injuries, antitrust matters, and employment-related matters. Eaton is also subject to asbestos claims from historic products which may have contained asbestos. Historically, significant insurance coverage has been available to cover costs associated with these claims. Although it is not possible to predict with certainty the outcome or cost of these matters, the Company believes they will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial statements. In December 2010, a Brazilian court held that a judgment obtained by a Brazilian company, Raysul, against another Brazilian company, Saturnia, which was sold by Eaton in 2006, could be enforced against Eaton Ltda. This judgment is based on an alleged violation of an agency agreement between Raysul and Saturnia. At December 31, 2015, the Company has a total accrual of 96 Brazilian Reais related to this matter ($24 based on current exchange rates), comprised of 60 Brazilian Reais recognized in the fourth quarter of 2010 ($15 based on current exchange rates) with an additional 36 Brazilian Reais recognized through December 31, 2015 ($9 based on current exchange rates). In 2010, Eaton filed motions for clarification with the Brazilian court of appeals which were denied on April 6, 2011. Eaton Holding and Eaton Ltda. filed appeals on various issues to the Superior Court of Justice in Brasilia. In April 2013, the Superior Court of Justice ruled in favor of Raysul. Additional motions for clarification were filed with the Superior Court of Justice in Brasilia and were denied. On February 2, 2015, a final appeal was filed with the Superior Court of Justice in Brasilia. The Company expects that any sum it may be required to pay in connection with this matter will not exceed the amount of the recorded liability. On October 5, 2006, ZF Meritor LLC and Meritor Transmission Corporation (collectively, Meritor) filed an action against Eaton in the United States District Court for Delaware. The action sought damages, which would have been trebled under United States antitrust laws, as well as injunctive relief and costs. The suit alleged that Eaton engaged in anti-competitive conduct against Meritor in the sale of heavy-duty truck transmissions in North America. On June 23, 2014, Eaton announced it signed a settlement agreement with Meritor in the amount of $500 that resolved the lawsuit and removed the uncertainty of a trial and appeal process. On July 16, 2014, Eaton paid Meritor the $500. Frisby Corporation, now known as Triumph Actuation Systems, LLC, and other claimants (collectively, Triumph) asserted claims alleging, among other things, unfair competition, defamation, malicious prosecution, deprivation of civil rights, and antitrust in the Hinds County Circuit Court of Mississippi in 2004 and in the Federal District Court of North Carolina in 2011. Eaton had asserted claims against Triumph regarding improper use of trade secrets and these claims were dismissed by the Hinds County Circuit Court. On June 18, 2014, Eaton announced it signed a settlement agreement with Triumph in the amount of $147.5 that resolved all claims and lawsuits and removed the uncertainty of a trial and appeal process. On July 8, 2014, Eaton paid Triumph the $147.5. Environmental Contingencies Eaton has established policies to ensure that its operations are conducted in keeping with good corporate citizenship and with a positive commitment to the protection of the natural and workplace environments. The Company's manufacturing facilities are required to be certified to ISO 14001, an international standard for environmental management systems. The Company routinely reviews EHS performance at each of its facilities and continuously strives to improve pollution prevention. Eaton is involved in remedial response and voluntary environmental remediation at a number of sites, including certain of its currently-owned or formerly-owned plants. The Company has also been named a potentially responsible party under the United States federal Superfund law, or the state equivalents thereof, at a number of disposal sites. The Company became involved in these sites as a result of government action or in connection with business acquisitions. At the end of 2015, the Company was involved with a total of 137 sites worldwide, including the Superfund sites mentioned above, with none of these sites being individually significant to the Company. Remediation activities, generally involving soil and/or groundwater contamination, include pre-cleanup activities such as fact finding and investigation, risk assessment, feasibility study, design and action planning, performance (where actions may range from monitoring, to removal of contaminants, to installation of longer-term remediation systems), and operation and maintenance of a remediation system. The extent of expected remediation activities and costs varies by site. A number of factors affect the cost of environmental remediation, including the number of parties involved at a particular site, the determination of the extent of contamination, the length of time the remediation may require, the complexity of environmental regulations, and the continuing advancement of remediation technology. Taking these factors into account, Eaton has estimated the costs of remediation, which will be paid over a period of years. The Company accrues an amount on an undiscounted basis, consistent with the estimates of these costs when it is probable that a liability has been incurred. Actual results may differ from these estimates. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had an accrual totaling $131 and $140, respectively, for these costs. Based upon Eaton's analysis and subject to the difficulty in estimating these future costs, the Company expects that any sum it may be required to pay in connection with environmental matters is not reasonably possible to exceed the recorded liability by an amount that would have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Warranty Accruals A summary of the current and long-term warranty accruals follows:
| 2015 |  | 2014 |  | 2013
Balance at January 1 | $ | 213 |  |  | $ | 189 |  |  | $ | 185 |
Provision | 104 |  |  | 125 |  |  | 107 |
Settled | (114 | ) |  | (120 | ) |  | (99 | )
Other | (8 | ) |  | 19 |  |  | (4 | )
Balance at December 31 | $ | 195 |  |  | $ | 213 |  |  | $ | 189 |
Lease Commitments Eaton leases certain real properties and equipment. A summary of minimum rental commitments at December 31, 2015 under noncancelable operating leases, which expire at various dates and in most cases contain renewal options, for each of the next five years and thereafter in the aggregate, follow:
2016 | $ | 151 |
2017 | 116 |
2018 | 87 |
2019 | 49 |
2020 | 32 |
Thereafter | 55 |
Total noncancelable lease commitments | $ | 490 |
A summary of rental expense follows:
2015 | $ | 225 |
2014 | 244 |
2013 | 241 |

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