BEST LAWYER STORY OF THE YEAR

(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 THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THINK WE'RE NUTS!