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Do warning labels reduce liability?

On Behalf of | Jan 31, 2018 | Products Liability

You have probably seen warning labels on the products you use on a daily basis. You will find most products you buy in Louisiana carry a warning label. Some are very straightforward and helpful, such as a warning to use a chemical cleaner in a ventilated area. Others are odd and even comical, such as a warning to not put people in a dryer or to use a waffle iron only to cook food. One reason why so many products carry these labels is to protect the manufacturer from liability.

The Insurance Journal reports warning labels are a legal protection for a company against someone using the product incorrectly and trying to sue when they or someone else gets hurt. Part of product liability law is when a product has inadequate instructions or warnings. If the manufacturer fails to include proper instructions for how to use and how not to use the product and a consumer uses the product and gets hurt, the manufacturer is liable. People claim they did not know a product was not supposed to be used in a certain way and that the company is liable. This leads us to the warning labels. 

Warning labels allow companies to prove the negligence was on the part of the consumer. If it can prove that in court, then the ruling will be against the consumer, and the company wins the case. So, those warning labels, even the silly ones, can be important to the companies making the products. This information is for education and is not legal advice.