View this article online: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2005/12/22/63400.htm
With Christmas quickly approaching, millions of Americans are preparing to celebrate time-honored traditions including caroling, tree-trimming, and leaving cookies and milk out for Santa.
But in today’s era of frivolous lawsuits, serving baked goods to the jolly old fat man could put families on the receiving end of a very un-merry obesity lawsuit. Before he wolfs down the cookies, the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) suggests demanding that Kris Kringle sign a “Christmas Cookie Liability and Indemnification Agreement.”
This liability waiver includes an agreement that Santa won’t haul cooki-egivers into court on the basis of:
1. Failure to provide nutritional information and a list of ingredients (the “Grandma’s secret recipe” clause);
2. Failure to caution of the potential for overeating because cookies taste “yummy” and are provided at no cost;
3. Failure to advise that walking, biking, and jogging will shed pounds, but riding around on a reindeer-powered sleigh will not;
4. Failure to warn that Christmas lights, lawn ornaments (plastic reindeer, snowmen, etc.) and other holiday decorations may constitute manipulative marketing to lure Santa into over-consumption;
5. Failure to offer “healthier” cookie alternatives (e.g., tofu bars or carob blobs);
6. Failure to affix warning label acknowledging that milk, should it be provided, must not be consumed if Santa is, or could possibly be, lactose intolerant; and
7. Failure to notify that eating too many cookies and not exercising may lead to even greater levels of obesity for St. Nick.
“Saint Nick has been obese for centuries. Still, you never can be sure where the next frivolous lawsuit will come from. Insisting that Santa sign a waiver before he chows down may be the only way to protect against being hauled into court by a greedy legal Grinch,” said Center for Consumer Freedom senior analyst Dan Mindus.
To see the Center for Consumer Freedom Christmas Cookie Liability and Indemnification Agreement, visit http://www.ConsumerFreedom.com.
Source: The Center for Consumer Freedom, a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants and food companies.