Company: BSX
Filing Date: 2025-11-03
Form Type: 10-Q
Source: 0000885725-25-000050
Chunk: 146

Company: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP
Filing Date: 2025-11-03
Form: 10-Q
Item: Part I, Item 8
Chunk 146
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 insurance coverage increases our potential exposure to unanticipated claims or adverse decisions. Product liability claims, securities and commercial litigation and other legal proceedings in the future, regardless of their outcome, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to sell certain products and on our operating margins, financial position, results of operations and/or liquidity.In addition, like other companies in the medical device industry, we are subject to extensive regulation by national, state and local government agencies in the U.S. and other countries in which we operate. From time to time we are the subject of qui tam actions and governmental investigations often involving regulatory, marketing and other business practices. These qui tam actions and governmental investigations could result in the commencement of civil and criminal proceedings, substantial fines, penalties and administrative remedies and have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or liquidity. For additional information, refer to Note I – Commitments and Contingencies to our audited financial statements contained in Item 8 of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 450, Contingencies, we accrue anticipated costs of settlement, damages, losses for product liability claims and, under certain conditions, costs of defense, based on historical experience or to the extent specific losses are probable and estimable. Otherwise, we expense these costs as incurred. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, we accrue the minimum amount of the range.Our accrual for legal matters that are probable and estimable was $306 million as of September 30, 2025 and $326 million as of December 31, 2024 and includes certain estimated costs of settlement, damages and defense primarily related to product liability cases or claims and matters assumed from acquired companies. We record certain legal and product liability charges, credits and costs of defense, which we consider to be unusual or infrequent and significant as Litigation-related net charges (credits) within our accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements. We did not record any litigation-related net charges (credits) during the third quarter and first nine months of 2025 or 2024. All other legal and product liability charges, credits and costs are recorded within Selling, general and administrative expenses within our accompanying unaudited consolidated statements of operations. We continue to assess certain litigation and claims to determine the amounts, if any, that management believes will be paid as a result of such claims and litigation and, therefore, additional losses may