v3.25.2
Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies 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. 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. 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.

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 $370 million to $487 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 six months ended June 30,20252024
Beginning balance$379 $383 
Current year accruals54 58 
Changes in estimates for prior years2 
Payments(65)(54)
Ending balance at June 30,$370 $387 
Current portion, ending balance at June 30,$109 $109 
Environmental costs – We are subject to federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations. We have identified 353 sites where we are or may be liable for remediation costs associated with alleged contamination or for violations of environmental requirements. This includes 30 sites that are the subject of actions taken by the U.S. government, including 18 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 six months ended June 30,20252024
Beginning balance$268 $245 
Accruals28 78 
Payments(41)(50)
Ending balance at June 30,$255 $273 
Current portion, ending balance at June 30,$69 $119 
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.