Laywer, Lawyer, Pants on Fire
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!
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 $15,000.00 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 jail and a $24,000.00 fine.
This is a true story and was the 1st place winner in the recent
Criminal Lawyers Award Contest. ONLY IN AMERICA
