Dan Harris
09-05-2009, 07:12 AM
BEST LAWYER STORY OF THE YEAR, DECADE AND PROBABLY THE CENTURY.
Charlotte , North Carolina . A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and
expensive cigars, 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 now.)
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 Criminal
Lawyers Award Contest.
Charlotte , North Carolina . A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and
expensive cigars, 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 now.)
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 Criminal
Lawyers Award Contest.