Honeywell 2003 Annual Report Download - page 274

progress of negotiations between Honeywell and NARCO related asbestos claimants
and between Honeywell and the Committee of Asbestos Creditors during the fourth
quarter of 2002, Honeywell developed an estimated liability for settlement of
pending and future asbestos claims.
During the fourth quarter of 2002, Honeywell recorded a charge of $1.4
billion for NARCO related asbestos litigation charges, net of insurance
recoveries. This charge consists of the estimated liability to settle current
asbestos related claims, the estimated liability related to future asbestos
related claims through 2018 and obligations to NARCO's parent, net of insurance
recoveries of $1.8 billion.
The estimated liability for current claims is based on terms and
conditions, including evidentiary requirements, in definitive agreements or
agreements in principle with in excess of 90 percent of current claimants. Once
finalized, settlement payments with respect to current claims are expected to be
made over approximately a four-year period.
The liability for future claims estimates the probable value of future
asbestos related bodily injury claims asserted against NARCO over a 15 year
period and obligations to NARCO's parent as discussed above. In light of the
uncertainties inherent in making long-term projections we do not believe that we
have a reasonable basis for estimating asbestos claims beyond 2018 under
Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 5 "Accounting for Contingencies."
Honeywell retained the expert services of Hamilton, Rabinovitz and Alschuler,
Inc. (HR&A) to project the probable number and value, including trust claim
handling costs, of asbestos related future liabilities. The methodology used to
estimate the liability for future claims has been commonly accepted by numerous
courts and is the same methodology that is utilized by an expert who is
routinely retained by the asbestos claimants committee in asbestos related
bankruptcies. The valuation methodology includes an analysis of the population
likely to have been exposed to asbestos containing products, epidemiological
studies to estimate the number of people likely to develop asbestos related
diseases, NARCO claims filing history and the pending inventory of NARCO
asbestos related claims.
Honeywell has substantial insurance that reimburses it for portions of the
costs incurred to settle NARCO related claims and court judgments as well as
defense costs. This coverage is provided by a large number of insurance policies
written by dozens of insurance companies in both the domestic insurance market
and the London excess market. At September 30, 2003, a significant portion of
this coverage is with London-based insurance companies under a coverage-in-place
agreement. Coverage-in-place agreements are settlement agreements between
policyholders and the insurers specifying the terms and conditions under which
coverage will be applied as claims are presented for payment. These agreements
govern such things as what events will be deemed to trigger coverage, how
liability for a claim will be allocated among insurers and what procedures the
policyholder must follow in order to obligate the insurer to pay claims. We
conducted an analysis to determine the amount of insurance that we estimate is
probable that we will recover in relation to payment of current and projected
future claims. While the substantial majority of our insurance carriers are
solvent, some of our individual carriers are insolvent, which has been
considered in our analysis of probable recoveries. Some of our insurance
carriers have challenged our right to enter into settlement agreements resolving
all NARCO related asbestos claims against Honeywell. However, we believe there
is no factual or
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