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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | 17. Commitments and Contingencies Principal leases are for machinery and equipment, vehicles, and real property. Certain leases contain renewal and purchase option provisions at fair values. There were no significant capital leases entered into during 2014. Total rental expense amounted to $4.2 million in 2014, $4.6 million in 2013 and $5.8 million in 2012. Future rental payments required under operating leases that have initial or remaining non-cancelable lease terms in excess of one year, as of December 31, 2014 are: 2015, $3.5 million; 2016, $2.5 million; 2017, $1.5 million; 2018, $0.8 million, and 2019 and thereafter, $1.6 million. Asbestos Litigation Albany International Corp. is a defendant in suits brought in various courts in the United States by plaintiffs who allege that they have suffered personal injury as a result of exposure to asbestos-containing products that we previously manufactured. We produced asbestos-containing paper machine clothing synthetic dryer fabrics marketed during the period from 1967 to 1976 and used in certain paper mills. Such fabrics generally had a useful life of three to twelve months. We were defending 3,821 claims as of December 31, 2014. The following table sets forth the number of claims filed, the number of claims settled, dismissed or otherwise resolved, and the aggregate settlement amount during the periods presented:
Year ended December 31, | Opening Number of Claims | Claims Dismissed, Settled, or Resolved | New Claims | Closing Number of Claims | Amounts Paid (thousands) to Settle or Resolve
2005 | 29,411 | 6,257 | 1,297 | 24,451 | $504
2006 | 24,451 | 6,841 | 1,806 | 19,416 | 3,879
2007 | 19,416 | 808 | 190 | 18,798 | 15
2008 | 18,798 | 523 | 110 | 18,385 | 52
2009 | 18,385 | 9,482 | 42 | 8,945 | 88
2010 | 8,945 | 3,963 | 188 | 5,170 | 159
2011 | 5,170 | 789 | 65 | 4,446 | 1,111
2012 | 4,446 | 90 | 107 | 4,463 | 530
2013 | 4,463 | 230 | 66 | 4,299 | 78
2014 | 4,299 | 625 | 147 | 3,821 | $437
We anticipate that additional claims will be filed against the Company and related companies in the future, but are unable to predict the number and timing of such future claims. Exposure and disease information sufficient to meaningfully estimate a range of possible loss of a particular claim is typically not available until late in the discovery process, and often not until a trial date is imminent and a settlement demand has been received. For these reasons, we do not believe a meaningful estimate can be made regarding the range of possible loss with respect to pending or future claims. While we believe we have meritorious defenses to these claims, we have settled certain claims for amounts we consider reasonable given the facts and circumstances of each case. Our insurer, Liberty Mutual, has defended each case and funded settlements under a standard reservation of rights. As of December 31, 2014, we had resolved, by means of settlement or dismissal, 37,225 claims. The total cost of resolving all claims was $9.2 million. Of this amount, almost 100% was paid by our insurance carrier. The Company's insurer has confirmed that although coverage limits under two (of approximately 23) primary insurance policies have been exhausted, there still remains approximately $3 million in coverage under other applicable primary policies, and $140 million in coverage under excess umbrella coverage policies that should be available for current and future asbestos claims. Brandon Drying Fabrics, Inc. (“Brandon”), a subsidiary of Geschmay Corp., which is a subsidiary of the Company, is also a separate defendant in many of the asbestos cases in which Albany is named as a defendant. Brandon was defending against 7,730 claims as of December 31, 2014. The following table sets forth the number of claims filed, the number of claims settled, dismissed or otherwise resolved, and the aggregate settlement amount during the periods presented:
Year ended December 31, | Opening Number of Claims | Claims Dismissed, Settled, or Resolved | New Claims | Closing Number of Claims | Amounts Paid (thousands) to Settle or Resolve
2005 | 9,985 | 642 | 223 | 9,566 | $-
2006 | 9,566 | 1,182 | 730 | 9,114 | -
2007 | 9,114 | 462 | 88 | 8,740 | -
2008 | 8,740 | 86 | 10 | 8,664 | -
2009 | 8,664 | 760 | 3 | 7,907 | -
2010 | 7,907 | 47 | 9 | 7,869 | -
2011 | 7,869 | 3 | 11 | 7,877 | -
2012 | 7,877 | 12 | 2 | 7,867 | -
2013 | 7,867 | 55 | 3 | 7,815 | -
2014 | 7,815 | 87 | 2 | 7,730 | $-
We acquired Geschmay Corp., formerly known as Wangner Systems Corporation, in 1999. Brandon is a wholly owned subsidiary of Geschmay Corp. In 1978, Brandon acquired certain assets from Abney Mills (“Abney”), a South Carolina textile manufacturer. Among the assets acquired by Brandon from Abney were assets of Abney's wholly owned subsidiary, Brandon Sales, Inc. which had sold, among other things, dryer fabrics containing asbestos made by its parent, Abney. Although Brandon manufactured and sold dryer fabrics under its own name subsequent to the asset purchase, none of such fabrics contained asbestos. Because Brandon did not manufacture asbestos-containing products, and because it does not believe that it was the legal successor to, or otherwise responsible for obligations of Abney with respect to products manufactured by Abney, it believes it has strong defenses to the claims that have been asserted against it. As of December 31, 2014, Brandon has resolved, by means of settlement or dismissal, 9,875 claims for a total of $0.2 million. Brandon's insurance carriers initially agreed to pay 88.2% of the total indemnification and defense costs related to these proceedings, subject to the standard reservation of rights. The remaining 11.8% of the costs had been borne directly by Brandon. During 2004, Brandon's insurance carriers agreed to cover 100% of indemnification and defense costs, subject to policy limits and the standard reservation of rights, and to reimburse Brandon for all indemnity and defense costs paid directly by Brandon related to these proceedings. For the same reasons set forth above with respect to Albany's claims, as well as the fact that no amounts have been paid to resolve any Brandon claims since 2001, we do not believe a meaningful estimate can be made regarding the range of possible loss with respect to these remaining claims. In some of these asbestos cases, the Company is named both as a direct defendant and as the “successor in interest” to Mount Vernon Mills (“Mount Vernon”). We acquired certain assets from Mount Vernon in 1993. Certain plaintiffs allege injury caused by asbestos-containing products alleged to have been sold by Mount Vernon many years prior to this acquisition. Mount Vernon is contractually obligated to indemnify the Company against any liability arising out of such products. We deny any liability for products sold by Mount Vernon prior to the acquisition of the Mount Vernon assets. Pursuant to its contractual indemnification obligations, Mount Vernon has assumed the defense of these claims. On this basis, we have successfully moved for dismissal in a number of actions. Although we do not believe, based on currently available information and for the reasons stated above, that a meaningful estimate of a range of possible loss can be made with respect to such claims, based on our understanding of the insurance policies available, how settlement amounts have been allocated to various policies, our settlement experience, the absence of any judgments against the Company or Brandon, the ratio of paper mill claims to total claims filed, and the defenses available, we currently do not anticipate any material liability relating to the resolution of the aforementioned pending proceedings in excess of existing insurance limits. Consequently, we currently do not anticipate, based on currently available information, that the ultimate resolution of the aforementioned proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations, or cash flows of the Company. Although we cannot predict the number and timing of future claims, based on the foregoing factors and the trends in claims against us to date, we do not anticipate that additional claims likely to be filed against us in the future will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. We are aware that litigation is inherently uncertain, especially when the outcome is dependent primarily on determinations of factual matters to be made by juries.

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