Weekly Legislative Update
February 1, 2008

To no one’s surprise, the trial lawyers and their legislative allies are pushing an aggressive agenda in Olympia to expand liability, seemingly in every area of Washington law. 

This past week, hearings were held on a bill to create a new cause of action for employers (HB 2602) and on a bill allowing for a 500 percent increase in the damages available under the Consumer Protection Act (SB 6382). 

And, today (Friday, Feb. 1) could be labeled Black Friday, thanks to all the trial lawyer bills being heard in the legislature: 

• Wrongful death statute—(HB 1873/SB 6696). Both the House and Senate will consider measures to significantly expand the state’s wrongful death statutes. The expected fiscal impact is huge, particularly for government entities: city governments will pay an estimated $2 million per case, on top of the $1.25 million per case the state government expects to pay out for this expansion of liability.  
• Workplace bullying--HB 2142. This measure would allow unlimited punitive damages for workplace bullying. 
• Discrimination claims--SB 6782. This bill makes it easier to establish and collect damages on a claim of discrimination.
• Consumer Protection Act expansion—SB 6840. This bill provides yet another expansion of the CPA, allowing county prosecutors and city attorneys to file lawsuits under the act.
  

Visit our Bill Tracker to see a complete list of the bills the LRC is fighting this session. 

Wacky Warning Labels

Through the doom and gloom, wacky warning labels continue to provide humor for supporters of liability reform. 

"Danger: Avoid Death," a warning label on a small tractor, tops this year’s list of the nation's most obvious warning labels in the 11th Annual Wacky Warning Label Contest.

The Wacky Warning Label Contest is conducted by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch (M-LAW) to reveal how lawsuits, and fear of lawsuits, have driven the proliferation of labels on U.S. products bearing obvious and commonsense warnings.

Other Wacky Label winners include:

• "Do not iron while wearing shirt"—from an iron-on T-shirt transfer.
• “Do not put child in bag”—from a baby stroller featuring a small storage pouch.
• “Caution: Safety goggles recommended"—from a letter opener.
• "The Vanishing Fabric Marker should not be used as a writing instrument for signing checks or any legal documents"—user caution found on Vanishing Fabric Marker.

For more examples of these nonsensical warning labels, read the collection compiled in the book “Remove Child Before Folding.”  And, yes, that was a warning label on a baby stroller.