# Really silly warnings that manufacturers put on products because they might get sued **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 30, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944 "2001-05-30T01:57:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/121 "2022-12-22T04:25:43Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Can Fed Ex , UPS etc be sued if their employees steal packages? IANAL but I believe companies are liable for the acts of their employees. Federal Law specifically exempts USPS from the acts of their employees. So if your mail carrier steals your gold coin and sells it then spends the money, you cannot sue the Post Office. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/122 "2022-12-22T13:51:26Z")
Employers are responsible for the acts of their employees in some circumstances, but not all. Fed Ex/UPS would definitely be responsible if one of their delivery drivers was at fault in a collision that occurred while traveling from one delivery stop to the next but maybe not if the driver assaulted someone unrelated to a delivery. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Federal Law specifically exempts USPS from the acts of their employees. Is it a specific law that exempts only the USPS from responsibility for the acts of its employees or is it a matter of sovereign immunity not being waived to allow such suits? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/123 "2022-12-22T16:04:35Z")
Both. There is the general sovereign immunity but specifically the 1946 Federal Torts Claims Act that specifically makes the Post Office immune from any lawsuit “arising out of the loss, miscarriage, or negligent transmission of letters or postal matter” ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/124 "2022-12-22T16:14:15Z")
I’m always amused by automobile advertisements on television that show a car being driven under fairly normal circumstances with a disclaimer at the botton reading “Professional driver on closed course.” ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/125 "2022-12-22T23:06:39Z")
@Odesio, this cracks me up as well. I’ve seen the kind of damage professional drivers on closed courses can cause, along with the injuries. Being professional doesn’t stop them from occasionally failing to use their brains. These ads show them driving professionally as if there was a police officer watching their driving behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Chelonaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@Chelonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chelonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/126 "2022-12-22T23:14:26Z")
The cheapest jar of honey you can buy at my local store is labelled “from countries inside the EU or outside”. So it’s not from outer space. Would have been cool though. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/127 "2022-12-22T23:16:33Z")
> [@Tricia\_Valentine](#): > > Oh yah, and the warning on McDonald’s coffee due to some silly old lady (no offense intended, but geez!)… “Warning: Coffee may be hot”… > DUH! There was nothing silly about that situation. McDonald’s was recklessly negligent. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/128 "2022-12-23T00:37:52Z")
Which makes complete sense, they know they can’t sue but they can remind USPS employees it’s a felony to steal if they decide to go freelance $1 at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/129 "2022-12-23T03:27:05Z")
Be aware that you are responding to a 21 year old post. I will add that they were in violation of at least one judge’s orders. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944/130 "2022-12-23T06:32:58Z")
About the coffee, a lot of people really don’t remember the flimsy Styrofoam cups that collapsed when you stared at them too hard they used back then. That was really more of the issue than the heat. They at least use sturdier cups now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-silly-warnings-that-manufacturers-put-on-products-because-they-might-get-sued/66944.md?page=6)