Mr Chuckles: Chuckle 4722 from unsent emails

Chuckle 4722 from unsent email

Received in Oct 2003

This is the best lawyer story of the year, decade and probably the century.

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 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 in jail and a $24,000 fine.
This is a true story and was the 1st place winner in the recent   Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.

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