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Originally Posted by Charlatan
my favourite example of this is a plastic bag with the words: This Bag is Not A Toy.
No shit.
The only reason it is there is because people cannot or will not take responsibility. They would rather sue the manufacturer than admit that they left their child alone to play with a plastic bag (let's face it, the words on the bag are not intended for the child as they aren't likely to be able to read it).
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Et tu, Charlatan? Et tu?
As the parent of a toddler, let me tell you that EVERYTHING is a toy. The current favorite is an empty pallet box (18" x 24" x 4"). He sit in it. He stands on it. He carries it around.
From the perspective of someone who writes liability insurance day in and day out and specializes in Product Liability (which is really what we're talking about here), let me say that you people are morons. By "you people" I mean the general public. Seriously, some of you amaze us by the fact that manage to remember to draw breathe.
Do you know why warnings show up on products? Because there was someone who did that, sued and won.
I understand why the civil courts exist, and I think that generally they do a good job. When someone is injured, either physically or financially, they deserve compensation. For arguement's sake, let's assume that this poor girl did nothing other than get on the ride (which is probably pretty close to the truth). She went up with her feet attached and came down without them. What weird notion of personal responsibility dictates that she doesn't deserve compensation for having her legs severed? At best, she's going to walk with a severe limp for the rest of her life. Either the park or the manufacturer messed up pretty badly, and they need to pay as a consequence. Actually, their insurance carrier will shoulder the majority of the burden.
Personal responsibility is fine and dandy, but corporate responsibility is harder to come by. Doing the right thing for customers who are injured is often very unpopular with shareholders since it cuts into the bottom line. If you are a manufacturer (or importer) you need to exercise due care with your product by knowing who the likely users are and what they're going to do with the product.
All the red Thomas the Tank Engine toys are currently being recalled because the Chinese manufacturer used a lead-based paint. As a parent of a child who is obsessed with trains and Thomas (in that order), it bothers me that the importer didn't bother with a very simple test to detect the lead. Someone else did it. If my child has lead poisoning because he's chewed on the toys, am I abdicating my personal responsibility by asking for compensation from the importer since they're the ones who poisoned my child in the first place?