As has already been said, it's the "If There's Blame There's A Claim" mentality which has been driven by the Great American Legal System (or the Compo Culture as we in the UK know it) which had it's heart in the right place (google "Ford Pinto memo") but as evolved into these examples quoted above that we know and love.
Once upon a time somebody spilling coffee over themselves in McDonalds would have sworn at themselves under their breath and tried to slope off to the toilet to clean up and hope no one saw them making a tit of themselves. Now of course, they sue because no one told them the coffee was hot, they now have post traumatic stress syndrome and will never play the piano again etc etc.
It's by no means a new phenomenon though. I well remember back in 1988 when I got my first car ('73 Beetle 1200) I bought a Krooklok - hands up who remembers them - and embossed in the plastic at the steering wheel end it said "REMOVE BEFORE DRIVING". I thought this was hilarious, I mean, as if anybody could ever be that stupid...look at us all now eh.
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