Only in America can this happen! Good one.
This took place in 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, 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 !!!
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous but he 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 acceptable explanation of the term 'fire' (as in the act of actually smoking the cigar) 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 that were "lost in a series of small fires'.
NOW FOR THE BEST PART...
After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON !!!
With evidence of his own insurance claim and testimony from the 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 true story won First Place in the "Criminal Lawyers Award" contest in the following year.
This took place in 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, 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 !!!
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous but he 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 acceptable explanation of the term 'fire' (as in the act of actually smoking the cigar) 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 that were "lost in a series of small fires'.
NOW FOR THE BEST PART...
After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON !!!
With evidence of his own insurance claim and testimony from the 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 true story won First Place in the "Criminal Lawyers Award" contest in the following year.