The winner of the 11th Annual Wacky Warning Label Contest has been found on a small tractor: “Danger: Avoid Death.” I did not make this up.
The results of the contest were recently announced by a group called Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch (MLAW) in their effort to show how frivolous lawsuits have led to a proliferation of common-sense warnings on products. The top winner received $500 and a copy of the book Remove Child Before Folding, The 101 Stupidest, Silliest and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever,” by M-LAW president Bob Dorigo Jones. Other winning entries found on the MLAW site included:
- “Do not iron while wearing shirt” found on an iron-on T-shirt transfer ($250)
- “Do not put child in bag,” a label on a baby-stroller featuring a small storage pouch ($100)
My personal favorite, however, is a label that received “Honorable Mention,” found on a vanishing fabric marker that warns “The Vanishing Fabric Marker should not be used as a writing instrument for signing checks or any legal documents.
What is the world coming to when people can’t operate according to common sense, and when the civil justice system condones these types of frivolous lawsuits? The extra burden to our justice system, extra costs to businesses, and ultimately higher prices passed on to consumers makes it important to stop the cycle. If you support civil justice reform, be sure to let MLAW hear from you.
Meanwhile, keep your eyes open for more of those Wacky Warning Labels. Who knows – you could be next year’s winner.
