nivrip
Yorkshire Cruncher
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2007
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Here's an interesting little story. Made me smile. 
This took place in Charlotte, North Carolina. A lawyer purchased a box of very rare & expensive cigars, then insured them against, among other things, fire.
Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost 'in a series of small fires.'
The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason, that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.
The lawyer sued & WON! (Stay with me.)
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous.
The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company, in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable & also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable 'fire' & was obligated to pay the claim.
Rather than endure lengthy & costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling & paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars that perished in the 'fires'.
NOW FOR THE BEST PART
After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!
With his own insurance claim & testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property & was sentenced to 24 months in jail & a $24,000 fine.
This true story won First Place in last year's Criminal Lawyers Award contest.
This took place in Charlotte, North Carolina. A lawyer purchased a box of very rare & expensive cigars, then insured them against, among other things, fire.
Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost 'in a series of small fires.'
The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason, that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.
The lawyer sued & WON! (Stay with me.)
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous.
The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company, in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable & also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable 'fire' & was obligated to pay the claim.
Rather than endure lengthy & costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling & paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars that perished in the 'fires'.
NOW FOR THE BEST PART
After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!
With his own insurance claim & testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property & was sentenced to 24 months in jail & a $24,000 fine.
This true story won First Place in last year's Criminal Lawyers Award contest.
