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Casualty, Environmental and Other Reserves | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 25, 2015
Casualty, Environmental and Other Reserves [Abstract] |
Casualty, Environmental and Other Reserves | Casualty, Environmental and Other Reserves Activity related to casualty, environmental and other reserves is as follows:
| Casualty |  | Environmental |  | Other |  |
(Dollars in Millions) | Reserves |  | Reserves |  | Reserves |  | Total
December 28, 2012 | $ | 325 |  |  | $ | 88 |  |  | $ | 64 |  |  | $ | 477 |
Charged to Expense | 54 |  |  | 48 |  |  | 38 |  |  | 140 |
Payments | (99 | ) |  | (36 | ) |  | (31 | ) |  | (166 | )
December 27, 2013 | 280 |  |  | 100 |  |  | 71 |  |  | 451 |
Charged to Expense (a) | 89 |  |  | 57 |  |  | 30 |  |  | 176 |
Payments | (104 | ) |  | (63 | ) |  | (42 | ) |  | (209 | )
December 26, 2014 | 265 |  |  | 94 |  |  | 59 |  |  | 418 |
Charged to Expense | 60 |  |  | 45 |  |  | 37 |  |  | 142 |
Payments | (56 | ) |  | (57 | ) |  | (47 | ) |  | (160 | )
December 25, 2015 | $ | 269 |  |  | $ | 82 |  |  | $ | 49 |  |  | $ | 400 |
(a) | Increase in expense in 2014 is primarily due to the resolution of personal injury claims for prior years.
These reserves are considered critical accounting estimates due to the need for significant management judgment. They are provided for in the consolidated balance sheets as shown in the table below.
| December 2015 |  | December 2014
(Dollars in Millions) | Current |  | Long-term |  | Total |  | Current |  | Long-term |  | Total
Casualty: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Personal Injury | $ | 57 |  |  | $ | 147 |  |  | $ | 204 |  |  | $ | 68 |  |  | $ | 123 |  |  | $ | 191 |
Asbestos | 9 |  |  | 44 |  |  | 53 |  |  | 5 |  |  | 51 |  |  | 56 |
Occupational | 3 |  |  | 9 |  |  | 12 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 15 |  |  | 18 |
Total Casualty | $ | 69 |  |  | $ | 200 |  |  | $ | 269 |  |  | $ | 76 |  |  | $ | 189 |  |  | $ | 265 |
Environmental | 42 |  |  | 40 |  |  | 82 |  |  | 48 |  |  | 46 |  |  | 94 |
Other | 20 |  |  | 29 |  |  | 49 |  |  | 18 |  |  | 41 |  |  | 59 |
Total | $ | 131 |  |  | $ | 269 |  |  | $ | 400 |  |  | $ | 142 |  |  | $ | 276 |  |  | $ | 418 |
These liabilities are accrued when estimable and probable in accordance with the Contingencies Topic in the ASC. Actual settlements and claims received could differ and final outcome of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty. Considering the legal defenses currently available, the liabilities that have been recorded and other factors, it is the opinion of management that none of these items individually, when finally resolved, will have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Should a number of these items occur in the same period, however, they could have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or liquidity in that particular period. NOTE 5. Casualty, Environmental and Other Reserves, continued Casualty Casualty reserves of $265 million and $269 million for 2014 and 2015, respectively, represent accruals for personal injury, asbestos and occupational injury claims. The Company's self-insured retention amount for these claims is $50 million per occurrence. Currently, no individual claim is expected to exceed the self-insured retention amount. In accordance with the Contingencies Topic in the ASC, to the extent the value of an individual claim exceeds the self-insured retention amount, the Company would present the liability on a gross basis with a corresponding receivable for insurance recoveries. These reserves fluctuate based upon the timing of payments as well as changes in estimate. Actual results may vary from estimates due to the number, type and severity of the injury, costs of medical treatments and uncertainties in litigation. Most of the Company's casualty claims relate to CSXT unless otherwise noted below. Defense and processing costs, which historically have been insignificant and are anticipated to be insignificant in the future, are not included in the recorded liabilities. During 2015, 2014 and 2013, there were no significant changes in estimate recorded to adjust casualty reserves. Personal Injury Personal injury reserves represent liabilities for employee work-related and third-party injuries. Work-related injuries for CSXT employees are primarily subject to FELA. In addition to FELA liabilities, employees of other current or former CSX subsidiaries are covered by various state workers’ compensation laws, the Federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Program or the Maritime Jones Act. CSXT retains an independent actuary to assist management in assessing the value of personal injury claims. An analysis is performed by the actuary quarterly and is reviewed by management. The methodology used by the actuary includes a development factor to reflect growth or reduction in the value of these personal injury claims. It is based largely on CSXT's historical claims and settlement experience. Asbestos & Occupational The Company is party to a number of asbestos claims by employees alleging exposure to asbestos in the workplace. The greatest possible exposure for employees resulted from work conducted in and around steam locomotive engines that were largely phased out beginning around the 1950s. Other types of exposures, however, including exposure from locomotive component parts and building materials, continued until these exposures were substantially eliminated by 1985. Additionally, the Company has retained liability for asbestos claims filed against its previously owned international container shipping business. Diseases associated with asbestos typically have long latency periods (amount of time between exposure to asbestos and the onset of the disease) which can range from 10 to 40 years after exposure. Management reviews asserted asbestos claims quarterly. Since exposure to asbestos has been substantially eliminated, unasserted or incurred but not reported ("IBNR") asbestos claims are analyzed by a third-party specialist and reviewed by management annually. In 2014, management extended the forecast period from 7 years to 10 years. Based on a review of historical settlement trends, management concluded that ten years is the most probable time period in which unasserted asbestos claim filings and claim values can be estimated. The Company does not believe there is sufficient data to justify a projection period longer than 10 years at this time. The change in the forecast period resulted in an immaterial increase in the asbestos reserves during 2014. Approximately 20% of the recorded undiscounted liability is related to asserted claims and approximately 80% is related to unasserted claims as of December 25, 2015. NOTE 5. Casualty, Environmental and Other Reserves, continued CSXT’s historical claim filings, settlement amounts, and dismissal rates are analyzed to determine future anticipated claim filing rates and average settlement values for asbestos claims reserves. The potentially exposed population is estimated by using CSXT’s employment records and industry data. From this analysis, the specialist estimates the IBNR claims liabilities. Occupational claims arise from allegations of exposure to certain materials in the workplace, such as solvents, soaps, chemicals (collectively referred to as “irritants”) and diesel fuels (like exhaust fumes) or allegations of chronic physical injuries resulting from work conditions, such as repetitive stress injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome and hearing loss. A summary of asbestos claims activity is as follows:
| Fiscal Years
| 2015 |  | 2014
Asserted Asbestos Claims |  |  |
Open Claims - Beginning of Year | 177 |  |  | 251 |
New Claims Filed | 77 |  |  | 106 |
Claims Settled | (64 | ) |  | (95 | )
Claims Dismissed | (30 | ) |  | (85 | )
Open Claims - End of Year | 160 |  |  | 177 |
Environmental Environmental reserves were $94 million and $82 million for 2014 and 2015, respectively. The Company is a party to various proceedings related to environmental issues, including administrative and judicial proceedings involving private parties and regulatory agencies. The Company has been identified as a potentially responsible party at approximately 242 environmentally impaired sites. Many of these are, or may be, subject to remedial action under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 ("CERCLA"), also known as the Superfund Law, or similar state statutes. Most of these proceedings arose from environmental conditions on properties used for ongoing or discontinued railroad operations. A number of these proceedings, however, are based on allegations that the Company, or its predecessors, sent hazardous substances to facilities owned or operated by others for treatment, recycling or disposal. In addition, some of the Company’s land holdings were leased to others for commercial or industrial uses that may have resulted in releases of hazardous substances or other regulated materials onto the property and could give rise to proceedings against the Company. In any such proceedings, the Company is subject to environmental clean-up and enforcement actions under the Superfund Law, as well as similar state laws that may impose joint and several liability for clean-up and enforcement costs on current and former owners and operators of a site without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct. These costs could be substantial. NOTE 5. Casualty, Environmental and Other Reserves, continued In accordance with the Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations Topic in the ASC, the Company reviews its role with respect to each site identified at least quarterly, giving consideration to a number of factors such as:
• | type of clean-up required;
• | nature of the Company’s alleged connection to the location (e.g., generator of waste sent to the site or owner or operator of the site);
• | extent of the Company’s alleged connection (e.g., volume of waste sent to the location and other relevant factors); and
• | number, connection and financial viability of other named and unnamed potentially responsible parties at the location.
Based on the review process, the Company has recorded amounts to cover contingent anticipated future environmental remediation costs with respect to each site to the extent such costs are estimable and probable. The recorded liabilities for estimated future environmental costs are undiscounted. The liability includes future costs for remediation and restoration of sites as well as any significant ongoing monitoring costs, but excludes any anticipated insurance recoveries. Payments related to these liabilities are expected to be made over the next several years. Environmental remediation costs are included in materials, supplies and other on the consolidated income statement. Currently, the Company does not possess sufficient information to reasonably estimate the amounts of additional liabilities, if any, on some sites until completion of future environmental studies. In addition, conditions that are currently unknown could, at any given location, result in additional exposure, the amount and materiality of which cannot presently be reasonably estimated. Based upon information currently available, however, the Company believes its environmental reserves accurately reflect the estimated cost of remedial actions currently required. Other Other reserves of $59 million and $49 million for 2014 and 2015, respectively, include liabilities for various claims, such as property, automobile and general liability. Also included in other reserves are longshoremen disability claims related to a previously owned international shipping business (these claims are in runoff) as well as claims for current port employees.

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