> > 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.
> >
> >ONLY IN AMERICA, NO WONDER OTHER COUNTRIES THINK WE'RE NUTS!