The Following Selected Transactions Relate to Contingencies of Eastern Products

question 122

Essay

The following selected transactions relate to contingencies of Eastern Products Inc., which began operations in July 2018. Eastern's fiscal year ends on December 31. Financial statements are published in April 2019.
1. No customer accounts have been shown to be uncollectible as yet, but Eastern estimates that 3% of credit sales will eventually prove uncollectible. Sales were $300 million (all credit) for 2018.
2. Eastern offers a one-year warranty against manufacturer's defects for all its products. Industry experience indicates that warranty costs will approximate 2% of sales. Actual warranty expenditures were $3.5 million in 2018 and were recorded as warranty expense when incurred.
3. In December 2018, Eastern became aware of an engineering flaw in a product that poses a potential risk of injury. As a result, a product recall appears inevitable. This move would likely cost the company $1.5 million.
4. In November 2018, the State of Vermont filed suit against Eastern, asking civil penalties and injunctive relief for violations of clean water laws. Eastern reached a settlement with state authorities to pay $4.2 million in penalties on February 3, 2019.
5. Eastern is the plaintiff in a $40 million lawsuit filed against a customer for costs and lost profits from contracts rejected in 2018. The lawsuit is in final appeal and attorneys advise that it is virtually certain that Eastern will be awarded $30 million.
Required:
Prepare the appropriate journal entries that should be recorded as a result of each of these contingencies. If no journal entry is indicated, state why.

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Definitions:

Obedience

A form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order from another individual, usually an authority figure.

Persuasion

The act or process of influencing someone's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors through argument, reasoning, or appeal.

Groupthink

A behavioral pattern observed in groups where the pursuit of agreement or uniformity leads to choices that are illogical or counterproductive.

Challenger Disaster

The catastrophic failure of the Space Shuttle Challenger shortly after its launch on January 28, 1986, leading to the death of all seven crew members.