June 21, 2006 - Baltimore, Md.—It’s summertime, and the fish may still be jumping as the old George Gershwin song lyrics say—but summertime pleasures are less carefree as they once were. For this we can thank the countless frivolous and outright wacky lawsuits being filed by greedy personal injury lawyers.

From daubing suntan lotion on your arms in the morning to protect against the midday sun, to an afternoon trip to the park with the kids, to a quick dinner out, and to an evening trip to the ballpark, no summer activity appears to be safe from get-rich-quick lawsuit tactics of the personal injury lawsuit lawyers. Consumers should be on the lookout for personal injury lawyers skulking around for the next junk lawsuit that is sure to suck the fun out of the summers to come. So get ready because, as legendary singer Billie Holiday might intone today, it’s “Summertime and the Sue-in’ is Easy.”

• Here Comes the Sun: In yet another attempt to block personal responsibility, a class-action lawsuit was recently filed against sunscreen makers alleging that, while there are no negative medical effects associated with sunscreen use, advertising that encourages the use of sunscreens to protect against sun damage has unfairly lulled consumers into a false sense of security about sun damage. (Wall Street Journal, June 7, 2006)

• One-two-three strikes and you’re out: A Florida father sued a youth baseball league because his son was told heÍd made the league’s all-star team when actually he had not. Because of the cost of the lawsuit, the future of the baseball league was threatened. (Liability Week, June 29, 1998)

• Pink is turning them red: A psychologist who was denied a pink tote bag during a Mother’s Day giveaway at a Los Angeles Angels’ baseball game has sued the team, alleging that thousands of males and fans under 18 were “treated unequally” and entitled to $4,000 each in damages. (Los Angeles Times, May 11, 2006)

• We don’t need no education: In suburban Milwaukee, a 17-year-old and his father sued a teacher, various school officials, and the school district, challenging summer homework assignments made as a prerequisite to an honors pre-calculus class. Smartly, the judge threw out the lawsuit stating, “Had the family done a bit more homework, they would have discovered that the people of our state granted to the Legislature ... the power to establish school boards and the state superintendent and to confer upon them the powers and duties the Legislature saw fit.” (Associated Press, March 9, 2005)

• Ring around the rosy: Climbing, swinging and sliding was once a rite of passage all kids enjoyed during the carefree summers of our youth, but thanks to the onslaught of frivolous personal injury lawsuits and fear of future litigation, once-common equipment such as metal slides, seesaws and merry-go-rounds are vanishing. In fact, cities and counties are adopting new “no-fun” safety rules like Broward County, Florida, which recently added a new rule on the playground: “No running.” (KATU 2 News, May 8, 2006)

• Fat, there is fat in this?: In the latest example of personal responsibility being boiled in oil, personal injury lawyers have filed a class-action lawsuit against KFC alleging that their fried chicken, yes fried chicken, actually may be unhealthy. The suit is currently pending, but backyard picnics and barbeques everywhere may never be the same. (Associated Press, June 14, 2006)