do you think this is true?

[gtr-gaz]

Be sure to read the whole story.
BEST LAWYER STORY OF THE YEAR, DECADE AND PROBABLY THE CENTURY??? Charlotte , North Carolina

A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars and 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!

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".


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.

[Mobile Chicane]

Yup. News in 1762

[pgilc1]

I can remember that going around 20 odd years ago.

Urban Myth.

[Sheets Tabuer]

There isn't anything you get sent in an email which is true, particularly something that declares to be a "true story"

[bad_roo]

Snopes.com is your friend.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/clever/cigarson.asp

Use it to avoid appearing gullible/ignorant.

[gtr-gaz]

bad_roo said:

Snopes.com is your friend.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/clever/cigarson.asp

Use it to avoid appearing gullible/ignorant.

Yep, that's me!

Thanks for the link

[TheCarpetCleaner]

gtr-gaz said:

bad_roo said:

Snopes.com is your friend.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/clever/cigarson.asp

Use it to avoid appearing gullible/ignorant.

Yep, that's me!

Thanks for the link

It has saved me on many occasions as well.

However, there are some hardcore ignorants out there - remember that urban myth about the copper pointing his radar gun at a plane, and the plane locking on to it etc etc? A guy I worked with claimed it was his Uncle, and this his Uncle never lies.

He hit the roof after he saw the Snopes site Just could not accept he had been taken in by an urban myth

[cottonfoo]

The one regarding the 'gang initiation' where they drive around with no headlights on, and shoot the first person that flashes them, was posted on a notice board at the ambulance service my brother used to work at.

I was then told this story by my a family member, so I told them it was a hoax. Oh no, it can't have been a hoax, because it was on an 'official' notice board, I was told. No amount of emailed references to Snopes and others would make them realise it was false

[TheCarpetCleaner]

My best one (I wish I still had the email) was someone from Vodafone Corporate emailing our entire office telling us not to accept text messages from a certain number because it was a virus that would wipe your phone and eat your children etc.

I emailed the lady back, CC'ing her manager and everyone else she put in the mail with a link to the hoax and why it was impossible and generally a load of bks.

Suffice to say, we did not hear from here again

[shadowninja]

cottonfoo said:

The one regarding the 'gang initiation' where they drive around with no headlights on, and shoot the first person that flashes them, was posted on a notice board at the ambulance service my brother used to work at.

I was then told this story by my a family member, so I told them it was a hoax. Oh no, it can't have been a hoax, because it was on an 'official' notice board, I was told. No amount of emailed references to Snopes and others would make them realise it was false

Indeed. I like that lawyer story above so I will be telling it at a family gathering this evening. They don't know what Snopes is so it will have a chuckle for a few minutes.

Edited by shadowninja on Sunday 17th August 13:53