This week, the legal blogs are all discussing warning labels and mass tort liability.  Now, I now what you’re thinking, and you’re right: Inside Legal Blogs usually doesn’t touch upon real or serious legal issues.  But don’t worry, this week is no exception; I’ll always find a way to mock even the most serious legal issues.  If nothing else, you can depend on me for that!

At Overlawyered [http://www.overlawyered.com/2007/01/john_edwards_on_wacky_warnings.html] , I came across the following excerpt:

"[Edwards & Kirby partner David Kirby] had asked [the defendant's chief engineer] a fairly straightforward question: 'Would you agree that the manufacturer of a product has an obligation to inform all of the users of its products of all the dangers that are known that are associated with the use of their product?'

"'I don't believe that.' The reply was chilling."



I don’t know how “chilling” this response is (personally, I agree with the defendant’s chief engineer), but I really appreciate the melodrama that using the word “chilling” adds to the excerpt.
The discussion continued over warning labels was continued at the Mass Tort Litigation Blog [http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/mass_tort_litigation/2007/01/overwarning.html], which highlighted some the stupidest warning labels I’ve ever read in my entire life. Some of my favorites included (and yes, these are real warning labels): “Don’t try to dry your phone in a microwave oven” and “Never use an open flame or lit match to check fuel level”. My question is who writes these warning labels? Who would think to warn someone against putting a cell phone in a microwave? It sounds like corporations are hiring stoned college students to write warning labels for them.

Finally, The Volokh Conspiracy also weighed in on the issue…