Two new trends in litigation based on warnings
17th ANNUAL WACKY WARNING LABELS(tm) CONTEST:
2014 FINALISTS SELECTED
Finalist Photos Available at:
www.CenterforAmerica.org
WASHINGTON, DC: The internationally recognized Wacky Warning
Labels(tm) Contest, now in its 17th year, has selected the 2014 FINALISTS!
The top five finalists are:
"Get rid of children."
A label on a cell phone battery booster
(submitted by Larry Klein, Costa Mesa, CA)
"Decals are for decoration only and will not prevent you from any bodily
harm or injury."
A warning on a sheet of bicycle helmet decals
(submitted by Tim Weibel, Grand Island, NY)
"No helmet system can protect you from serious brain and/or neck injuries
including paralysis or death. To avoid these risks, do not engage in the
sport of football."
A label on all Schutt Sports full-size football helmets
(submitted by Mark Lengel, Novi, MI)
"Do not drink."
A warning on a printer ink toner cartridge
(submitted by Peter Differ, Lawrenceville, GA)
"Do not push vehicle while child is riding on it."
A label on a Mickey Mouse 4-in-1 Ride On toy
(submitted by Aaron Koop, West Chester, OH)
Contest creator Bob Dorigo Jones, bestselling author of Remove Child Before
Folding: The 101 Stupidest, Silliest and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever, has
reached hundreds of millions of Americans in the past decade with the
important message of the Contest - "Absurd and silly labels surround us in
everyday places - because America has a lawsuit-happy culture that must be
changed!"
Bob's been talking about the Contest on his national weekly radio
commentary, "Let's Be Fair!" and in his "Let's Be Fair!" blog
(www.bobdorigojones.com).
Hilarious and thought-provoking past winners include:
* "Remove child before folding" - on a baby stroller!
* "Does not supply oxygen" - a label on a common dust mask (2011
Contest Winner)
* "Never operate your speakerphone while driving" - on a hands-free
cell phone product called the "Drive 'N' Talk"! (2010 Contest Winner)
* "Not for use on moving vehicles" - the warning on the "Off-Road
Commode," a portable toilet seat that attaches to a trailer hitch!
* "Danger: Avoid Death" - a warning on a small tractor!
* "Harmful if swallowed - a warning on a brass fishing lure with a
three-pronged hook
* "This product moves when used" - a warning on a popular children's
scooter!
"Two of this year's finalists are warnings placed on sports protective
helmets, which demonstrate a current trend in litigation on
concussion-related lawsuits," says Bob Dorigo Jones. "In the era of
excessive litigation in America, product makers must constantly guard
against being sued for not warning about even the most obvious things - like
a recent label I saw which said 'Shin pads cannot protect any part of the
body they do not cover.'"
"Another new trend is mistranslated warning labels on products made by
foreign companies - like our Finalist warning label on a cell phone battery
charger that says 'Get rid of children'. It's an example of foreign
companies attempting to protect themselves against American litigation once
they put a product into our stream of commerce," said Dorigo Jones.
"In the effort of 'best intentions,' a warning like this creates a potential
hazard for consumers - imagine if the mistranslated label actually fails to
provide the real warning," Dorigo Jones added.
Last year, contest results reached more than 190 million Americans via
international media coverage. Wacky Warning Labels(tm) is a project of The
Center for America, a dynamic non-profit organization educating, motivating
and empowering the American people to reduce barriers to free enterprise.
See more about CFA and Wacky Warning Labels(tm) at www.centerforamerica.org.
Bob would love to talk to you about the Wacky Warning Label Contest and his
observations about America's lawsuit-happy culture. Please contact the
media representatives listed above and we'll make it happen.
-END -
Jenny Kefauver Todd Young
jenny@centerforamerica.org todd@centerforamerica.org
703.850.3533 770.317.2423
Last year, contest results reached more than 180 million Americans via international media coverage. Wacky Warning Labels™ is a project of The Center for America, a dynamic non-profit organization educating, motivating and empowering the American people to reduce barriers to free enterprise. See more about CFA and Wacky Warning Labels™ at www.centerforamerica.org.