Lawyers & Cigars

[Stagehand]

I don't know if this is true but it wouldn't surprise me

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.)



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 recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.

[kenneyty]

perfect!

[ben.mid]

[mbhodges]

WOW that is great!

[maierar]

Been around on the cigar forums for quite a while (mid 1960s). Urban legend that used to be taken seriously.
"This is a true story and was the First Place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest."
snopes.com: Cigar Arson

[Antares]

Been around on the cigar forums for quite a while (mid 1960s). Urban legend that used to be taken seriously.
"This is a true story and was the First Place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest."
snopes.com: Cigar Arson

HaHaHa, okay
But anyeway, great story

[Rajagra]

Been around on the cigar forums for quite a while (mid 1960s). Urban legend that used to be taken seriously.
"This is a true story and was the First Place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest."
snopes.com: Cigar Arson

Too good to debunk I say.

I like the idea of a lawyer getting his just deserts. (I learned something new anyway.)

[12stones]

Brad Paisley even turned it into a song: YouTube - Brad Paisley - The Cigar Song

[ChrisL]

I don't know of any property policy that wouldn't exclude intentional acts. Being an insurance guy I couldn't help but look at it from that perspective and therefore was skeptical from the get go. I know, I know, "lighten up, Chris L!".

Chris L

[Hawkeye5]

No way, no where, no how. The term "fire" is never defined in a policy because every court in the land recognizes the difference between "friendly" and "hostile" fire as a matter of common law, and Chris points out the universal exclusion of an intentional act.
Does make a good story though.