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Gordon
Hesketh-Jones has sent in this amusing tale from Charlotte ,
North Carolina USA. (28.7.08)
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 hi 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 |
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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!
Now stay with me
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance
company that the claim was frivolous. Nevertheless, the judge
stated 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 a lengthy and costly appeal process, the
insurance company accepted the ruling and paid US$15,000.00
to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars lost in the 'fires'.
Now
for the best part . . . . . . .
After
the lawyer cashed the cheque, 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 US$24,000
fine!
This
is a true story and was the First Place winner in the recent
Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.
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