A Charlotte, NC lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive
cigars,then insured them against fire, among other things.
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
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.)
In 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 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 rare
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 Prize winner in the recent Criminal
Lawyers Award Contest. (:-))
cigars,then insured them against fire, among other things.
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
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.)
In 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 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 rare
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 Prize winner in the recent Criminal
Lawyers Award Contest. (:-))
Doubt if there is such a contest, but it did make you think its possible, didn't it?
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