el Turco
12-31-2007, 02:19 AM
LAWYER STORY OF THE YEAR‚ DECADE AND PROBABLY THE CENTURY.
Charlotte‚ North Carolina
A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars‚ and then
insured them against‚ among other things‚ fire. Within a month‚ having
smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having
made even his first premium payment on the policy 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... and 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‚ which it had
warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would
insure them against fire‚ without defining what is considered to be
unacceptable "fire" and was obligated to pay the claim Rather than endure
lengthy and costly appeal process‚ the insurance company accepted the
ruling and paid $15‚000 to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars lost 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 and testimony from the previous case being used against him‚ the
lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was
sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24‚000 fine.
This is a true story and was the First Place winner in the recent Criminal
&Lawyers Award Contest.
Charlotte‚ North Carolina
A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars‚ and then
insured them against‚ among other things‚ fire. Within a month‚ having
smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having
made even his first premium payment on the policy 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... and 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‚ which it had
warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would
insure them against fire‚ without defining what is considered to be
unacceptable "fire" and was obligated to pay the claim Rather than endure
lengthy and costly appeal process‚ the insurance company accepted the
ruling and paid $15‚000 to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars lost 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 and testimony from the previous case being used against him‚ the
lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was
sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24‚000 fine.
This is a true story and was the First Place winner in the recent Criminal
&Lawyers Award Contest.