Have you noticed that just about everything you buy has a warning label these days? Ever wonder why that is?

A couple of months ago, a report I co-authored, titled Jackpot Justice, stated that the annual cost of the American civil lawsuit system totals $865 billion. In that report, we noted that a significant amount of that cost comes as a result of people and businesses changing their behavior in order to avoid being sued. One of those lawsuit-avoiding costs just happens to be printing what would seem to be obvious warnings on everyday products.

Consider this warning label, found on an iron-on t-shirt decal:
"Caution: Do not iron while wearing shirt."

This is one of many "wacky warning labels" highlighted in a recent book by Bob Dorigo Jones, of the Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch, titled Remove Child Before Folding: The 101 Stupidest, Silliest, and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever.

If you're thinking to yourself, "I haven't noticed warning labels everywhere!" then maybe it's worth paying closer attention. You may be humorously surprised.

It is easy to tune out warning labels, since they pop up just about everywhere and have essentially desensitized us to them. But being noticed isn't their purpose; the vast majority of these common-sense warnings aren't intended to save anyone from injury. What they may save, however, is time and money required to defend oneself against a frivolous lawsuit.