FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: PETER BYLSMA
PHONE: 310-795-8532
April 6, 2006
(Los Angeles, CA) – Just in time for tax season, Los Angeles Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (LA CALA) has partnered with KBIG-104.3 (Los Angeles) and News Talk-1470 (Antelope Valley) for a "Wacky Warning Label" contest where listeners from both stations will be given the opportunity to win back their "lawsuit tax" of $886.
According to a recent report by Tillinghast-Towers Perrin, the cost of lawsuits amounts to a "lawsuit tax" burden of $886 for every man, woman and child in America. The cost of lawsuits and liability is added into the price consumers in California pay for food, healthcare and other everday products and services.
"As we all hurry to settle up with Uncle Sam on Tax Day, it adds insult to injury to know the "lawsuit tax" is taking money out of our pockets," said Peter Bylsma executive director of Los Angeles CALA.
This year, KBIG-104.3 and News Talk-1470 listeners have the opportunity to get their lawsuit tax money back by winning CALA's "Wacky Warning Label" contest. In order to qualify, contestants will be asked to submit their most creative and outrageous wacky warning label, whether real or imagined.
Examples of real wacky warning labels include:
A label on a kitchen knife that warns "never try to catch a falling knife"
A household iron that cautions users to "never iron clothes while they are being worn"
A baking pan label warns "Ovenware will get hot when used in oven"
Consumers are warned by a flushable toilet brush "Do not use for personal hygiene"
A label on a baby stroller warns "Remove child before folding"
"Despite the humor in wacky warning labels, they are a sign of our lawsuit-plagued times," said Bylsma. "This contest was created to increase awareness that frivolous lawsuits are such a problem for product manufacturers that plastering common sense warnings on everything has become a necessity."
Entries can be submitted via the Los Angeles CALA Web site at www.losangelescala.org through April 14, 2006. One wackiest entry winner will be selected live on air by each station with KBIG-104.3's Gary Spears and News Talk-1470's Amir Hakeem making the announcements the day before Tax day, Friday, April 14, 2006.
CALA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grass roots, public education organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog over the legal system and those who would seek to abuse it for undeserved gain. Los Angeles CALA strives to educate the public on the costs and consequences of lawsuit abuse. More information is available at www.losangelescala.org.
