<br /><br /> A LAWYER STORY<br />> ><br />> >Can you say "too smart for one's own good?"<br />> ><br />> >A Charlotte NC lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive<br />> >cigars then insured them against fire among other things.<br />> ><br />> >Within a month having smoked his entire stock-pile of these great<br />> >cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on<br />> >the policy, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company.<br />> >In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of<br />> >small fires."<br />> ><br />> >The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason:<br />> >that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.<br />> ><br />> >The lawyer sued....and won!<br />> ><br />> >In delivering the ruling the judge agreed with the insurance company<br />> >that the claim was frivolous. The Judge stated nevertheless, that<br />> >the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that<br />> >the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure<br />> >them against fire, without defining what is considered to be<br />> >"unacceptable fire," and was obligated to pay the claim.<br />> ><br />> >Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the<br />> >insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000.00 to the lawyer<br />for<br />> >his loss of the rare cigars lost in the "fires."<br />> ><br />> >NOW FOR THE BEST PART...<br />> ><br />> >After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him<br />> >arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!! With his own insurance claim and<br />> >testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer<br />> >was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was<br />> >sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000.00 fine.<br />> ><br />> >This is a true story and was the 1st place winner in the recent<br />> >Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.<br /><br /><br />sorry about the >>>>'s ;D