I checked my oil today at 1600 miles, and it was a little less than halfway between L and H. I added a quart, and now the oil is above the full mark by about 1/2 the distance between L and H. In the manual it says that overfilling the oil can cause engine damage. Is having about 1/2 quart of excess oil enough to cause damage? I really don't feel like jacking the car up and draining some.

well, its your 30k car

I would drain some

Whoops, I misspoke. The oil level is not that far above H. It's still on the flat portion of the dipstick, and exceeds the H mark by about 1/5 of the distance between L and H.