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Humor Law

Exercise can cause serious or fatal injuries.

[digg-reddit-me]I bought a jump rope today. Taking off the cardboard slip it came in, I noticed the warning:

Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Exercise programs of any kind present an inherent danger to the participant. Serious or fatal injury can occur. All equipment is intended to be used by adults and only in the manner shown/illustrated/described. Anyone under the age of 18 should have adult supervision. Always follow instructions (if included). Always use proper techniques and common sense when exercising. Always check your equipment thoroughly.

Clark Stooksbury over at The American Conservative seems to have noticed this warning first last week.

This could easily turn into a rumination about how “overlawyered” we have become as a society – beginning with the infamous McDonald’s coffee case to now warnings about exercise causing death. But instead, taking a step back, let me make a different point. The McDonald’s case is greatly misunderstood and the facts make clear McDonald’s was negligent in the matter. And as for this warning that exercise may kill me – I’m going to chalk it up to one of those silly things companies do out of an excess of caution. The warning doesn’t hurt me – in fact, it’s somewhat amusing. Perhaps it is yet another sign that we are on a slippery slope to being drowned by laws and litigation – but