I saw this article on Yahoo! and knew that I had to write about it since common sense warnings that came from lawsuits are something I don’t agree with. Links: HTML · PDF.

The Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch held a contest for the wackiest warnings found on every day items. The winning item read “DO NOT put any person in this washer”.

Other top warnings included

Second place went to a warning on a personal watercraft that said, “Never use a lit match or open flame to check fuel level.”

There was a tie for third place between a statement on a Super Lotto ticket that said, “Do not iron,” and a warning on a cell phone that said, “Don’t try to dry your phone in a microwave oven.”

Honorable mention went to a telephone directory with the cover statement, “Please do not use this directory while operating a moving vehicle.”

Now, to the common person, these warnings are common sense. Even most 10-12 year olds know that they should not do the things that these labels are warning against. These warnings are not meant to save us from ourselves, they are meant to protect companies from lawsuits. Lawsuits that should not even be entertained in the already taxed court system.

Coffee is hot. Even my eight year old sister knows this. Yet there is a warning on most coffee cups from fast food chains stating this. Why? Because some lady spilt her coffee on herself and sued the chain that she purchased the coffee from. Every month, dozens of these lawsuits are filed, tying up resources that could be used to try serious crimes such as murders and the more serious thefts. Instead, these suits end up getting resolved out of court for thousands, if not millions of dollars. And not only does the company that gets sued pays, but all consumers that use that company’s product pay, as prices will increase as a result of the settlement.

According to the Center for Justice and Democracy, a group fighting legislation to limit the right to sue:

“Often, it is only through lawsuits brought by injured consumers that manufacturers have been forced to place critical warning labels on dangerous products, saving millions of lives and preventing innumerable injuries,”

What ever happened to having common sense and keeping an eye on your children? If people and parents did that, then we would not have as much of a need for these warning labels.

The court system needs to stop entertaining these lawsuits, and the legistlature needs to address this issue by allowing courts to summarily dismiss thhese suits, and then passing legislation preventing them from being filed.