Only in America...

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Copied from an email I received recently...

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.

[S4TAN]

Marvellous! Americans are just great aren't they? What a searing indictment of a seriously flawed empire ... the greed and conceit implicit in that story is sickening. I should imagine the court costs involved in processing such a flagrant display of arrogance could've saved many starving childrens lives in some far off land (far away from the United States of Disneyland)

[rikrose]

Are you feeling alright, Julian? That doesn't sound like the usual you.

[Jarv]

Quality urban legend.

[S4TAN]

Are you feeling alright, Julian? That doesn't sound like the usual you.

Pre-coffee rant. I'm feeling better now ...

I love everyone, and everything is great.

[MarkB]

Are you feeling alright, Julian? That doesn't sound like the usual you.

Pre-coffee rant. I'm feeling better now ...

I love everyone, and everything is great.

Nope, it sounds like you definitely aren't alright. Seek urgent medical attention!

[S4TAN]

Seek urgent medical attention!

Good advice .... I'm off to the pub!

[CliveH]

Great story Adam

I'd love to think it's true, and if it is it could only be in America...

Julian - you need to be very careful about making such slating, sweeping, and potentially defamatory remarks on a public forum about our cousins across the pond - have you thought about the consequences of a group libel action against you...?!!!

Anyway, I can tell you that there are in fact some very decent Americans, and I happen to have met both of them..

[S4TAN]

Julian - you need to be very careful about making such slating, sweeping, and potentially defamatory remarks on a public forum about our cousins across the pond - have you thought about the consequences

Blimey! You're right Clive - I didn't think about that .... they may well launch Operation "S4TAN-Storm"; waves of B-2 bombers dropping smart-bombs on my house prior to invading my garden with an overwhelming task-force of Marines. Occupation of my house would follow while they dig up the garden looking for WMD's (Weapons of Mass Devilishness) - the occupation would last years and I would be blown up and shot many, many times a day, and on a daily basis. Bugger.

[Peakz]

Did someone say bugger??

[S4TAN]

Did someone say bugger??

AFPMSL!

[rolskii]

Julian - you need to be very careful about making such slating, sweeping, and potentially defamatory remarks on a public forum about our cousins across the pond - have you thought about the consequences

Blimey! You're right Clive - I didn't think about that .... they may well launch Operation "S4TAN-Storm"; waves of B-2 bombers dropping smart-bombs on my house prior to invading my garden with an overwhelming task-force of Marines. Occupation of my house would follow while they dig up the garden looking for WMD's (Weapons of Mass Devilishness) - the occupation would last years and I would be blown up and shot many, many times a day, and on a daily basis. Bugger.

thats called friendly fire ....

[S4TAN]

friendly fire

One of lifes most ironic oxymorons.