Item 3. Legal Proceedings
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Item 3. Legal Proceedings
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Nucor has been named, along with other major steel producers, as a co-defendant in several related antitrust class-action complaints filed by Standard Iron Works and other steel purchasers in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The majority of these complaints were filed in September and October of 2008, with two additional complaints being filed in July and December of 2010. Two of these complaints have been voluntarily dismissed and are no longer pending. The plaintiffs allege that from April 1, 2005 through December 31, 2007, eight steel manufacturers, including Nucor, engaged in anticompetitive activities with respect to the production and sale of steel. The plaintiffs seek monetary and other relief. Five of the eight defendants have reached court approved settlements with the plaintiffs. Although we believe the plaintiffs’ claims are without merit and will vigorously defend against them, we cannot at this time predict the outcome of this litigation or estimate the range of Nucor’s potential exposure. Nucor has not recorded any reserves or contingencies related to this legal matter.
On April 19, 2012, MM Steel LP filed an action against Nucor and its co-defendants in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and has asserted violations of federal antitrust law. On March 25, 2014, the jury returned a verdict of $52.0 million in damages against all defendants jointly and severally, which amount was subject to trebling under the federal antitrust laws. On June 1, 2014, the court awarded a judgment jointly and severally against the defendants totaling $160.8 million after trebling and including costs and attorneys’ fees. Although the Company has filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and believes that it has valid grounds to have the judgment vacated or reversed, the ultimate resolution of the case is uncertain. Nucor has not recorded any reserves or contingencies related to this legal matter.
Nucor is from time to time a party to various lawsuits, claims, and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. With respect to all such lawsuits, claims and proceedings, we record reserves when it is probable a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. We do not believe that any of these proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, would be expected to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Nucor maintains liability insurance for certain risks that is subject to certain self-insurance limits.
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