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Note 15 - Commitments and Contingencies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2024
Notes to Financial Statements |
Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees [Text Block] | 15. Commitments and Contingencies Asserted and Unasserted Claims – Various claims and lawsuits are pending against us and certain of our subsidiaries. We cannot fully determine the effect of all asserted and unasserted claims on our consolidated results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity. We have recorded a liability where asserted and unasserted claims are considered probable and where such claims can be reasonably estimated. We currently do not expect that any known lawsuits, claims, environmental costs, commitments, contingent liabilities, or guarantees will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity after taking into account liabilities and insurance recoveries previously recorded for these matters. In December 2019, we received a putative class action complaint under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, alleging violation due to the use of a finger scan system developed and managed by third-parties. Union Pacific and the plaintiff are currently in the discovery phase. While we believe that we have strong defenses to the claims made in the complaint and will vigorously defend ourselves, there is no assurance regarding the ultimate outcome. Therefore, the outcome of this litigation is inherently uncertain, and we cannot reasonably estimate any loss or range of loss that may arise from this matter. Personal Injury – The Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) governs compensation for work-related accidents. Under FELA, damages are assessed based on a finding of fault through litigation or out-of-court settlements. We offer a comprehensive variety of services and rehabilitation programs for employees who are injured at work. Approximately 92% of the recorded liability is related to asserted claims and approximately 8% is related to unasserted claims at September 30, 2024. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the ultimate outcome of personal injury claims, it is reasonably possible that future costs to settle these claims may range from approximately $393 million to $509 million. We record an accrual at the low end of the range as no amount of loss within the range is more probable than any other. Estimates can vary over time due to evolving trends in litigation. Our personal injury liability activity was as follows:
Millions, for the Nine Months Ended September 30, |  | 2024 |  |  | 2023 |
Beginning balance |  | $ | 383 |  |  | $ | 361 |
Current year accruals |  |  | 87 |  |  |  | 81 |
Changes in estimates for prior years |  |  | (2 | ) |  |  | 55 |
Payments |  |  | (75 | ) |  |  | (104 | )
Ending balance at September 30, |  | $ | 393 |  |  | $ | 393 |
Current portion, ending balance at September 30, |  | $ | 114 |  |  | $ | 105 |
Environmental Costs – We are subject to federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations. We have identified 357 sites where we are or may be liable for remediation costs associated with alleged contamination or for violations of environmental requirements. This includes 31 sites that are the subject of actions taken by the U.S. government, including 19 that are currently on the Superfund National Priorities List. Certain federal legislation imposes joint and several liability for the remediation of identified sites; consequently, our ultimate environmental liability may include costs relating to activities of other parties, in addition to costs relating to our own activities at each site. Our environmental liability activity was as follows:
Millions, for the Nine Months Ended September 30, |  | 2024 |  |  | 2023 |
Beginning balance |  | $ | 245 |  |  | $ | 253 |
Accruals |  |  | 100 |  |  |  | 85 |
Payments |  |  | (76 | ) |  |  | (75 | )
Ending balance at September 30, |  | $ | 269 |  |  | $ | 263 |
Current portion, ending balance at September 30, |  | $ | 119 |  |  | $ | 83 |
The environmental liability includes future costs for remediation and restoration of sites, as well as ongoing monitoring costs, but excludes any anticipated recoveries from third-parties. Cost estimates are based on information available for each site, financial viability of other potentially responsible parties, and existing technology, laws, and regulations. The ultimate liability for remediation is difficult to determine because of the number of potentially responsible parties, site-specific cost sharing arrangements with other potentially responsible parties, the degree of contamination by various wastes, the scarcity and quality of volumetric data related to many of the sites, and the speculative nature of remediation costs. Estimates of liability may vary over time due to changes in federal, state, and local laws governing environmental remediation. Current obligations are not expected to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity. Indemnities – Our maximum potential exposure under indemnification arrangements, including certain tax indemnifications, can range from a specified dollar amount to an unlimited amount, depending on the nature of the transactions and the agreements. Due to uncertainty as to whether claims will be made or how they will be resolved, we cannot reasonably determine the probability of an adverse claim or reasonably estimate any adverse liability or the total maximum exposure under these indemnification arrangements. We do not have any reason to believe that we will be required to make any material payments under these indemnity provisions.

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