20 Settlement payments are made, and the asbestos reserve is relieved, when the Company receives a fully executed settlement release from the Plaintif f's counsel. As of December 31, 2012 , aggregate settlement costs were $8.6 million . In calendar years 2012 , 201 1 and 2010 , the settlement costs totaled $0.6 million , $0.9 million and $0.4 million , respectively . As of December 31, 2012 , aggregate costs of administering and litigating the asbestos claims were $21.4 million . In calendar years 2012 , 201 1 and 2010 , the costs of administering and litigating asbestos claims totaled $1.7 million , $2.2 million and $1.8 million , respectively . In January 1994, General Cable entered into a settlement agreement with certain principal primary insurers concerning liability for the costs of defense, judgments and settlements, if any , in all of the asbestos litigation described above. Subject to the terms and conditions of the settlement agreement, the insurers are responsible for a substantial portion of the costs and expenses incurred in the defense or resolution of this litigation. In recent years one of the insurers participating in the settlement that was responsible for a significant portion of the contribution under the settlement agreement entered into insurance liquidation proceedings. As a result, the contribution of the insurers has been reduced and the Company has had to bear a lar ger portion of the costs relating to these lawsuits. Moreover , certain of the other insurers may be financially unstable, and if one or more of these insurers enter into insurance liquidation proceedings, General Cable will be required to pay a lar ger portion of the costs incurred in connection with these cases. Based on our experience in this litigation, the amounts pleaded in the complaints are not typically meaningful as an indicator of the Company’ s potential liability because (1) the amounts claimed usually bear no relation to the level of plaintif f ’ s injury , if any; (2) complaints nearly always assert claims against multiple defendants (a typical complaint asserts claims against some 50 dif ferent defendants); (3) damages alleged are not attributed to individual defendants; (4) the defendants’ share of liability may turn on the law of joint and several liability; (5) the amount of fault to be allocated to each defendant is dif ferent depending on each case; (6) many cases are filed against General Cable, even though the plaintif f did not use any of General Cable’ s products, and ultimately are withdrawn or dismissed without any payment; (7) many cases are brought on behalf of plaintif fs who have not suf fered any medical injuries, and ultimately are resolved without any payment to that plaintif f; and (8) with regard to claims for punitive damages, potential liability generally is related to the amount of potential exposure to asbestos from a defendant’ s products. General Cable’ s asbestos-containing products contained only a minimal amount of fully encapsulated asbestos. General Cable is also involved in various routine legal proceedings and administrative actions. In the opinion of the Company’ s management, these proceedings and actions should not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse ef fect on its consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial position. ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES Not applicable. T able of Contents