NationStates Jolt Archive


Are American lawyers stryving to live up to their stereotype?

Sergio the First
09-09-2005, 12:35
This is too rich not to share.
A lawyer of Charlotte, North Carolina, bought a case of very expensive cigars, and ensured it against fires and other liabilities. A month passed, having smoked all of the cigarrs and having yet to pay the first installment on the purchase, our "hero" filed a civil complaint against the insurance company.
The plaintiff claimed that his cigars had been destroyed in a number of small fires.
The defendant refused payment, stating the obvious:the plaintif had consumed the cigars in the usual way.
The judge ruled that the said legal action was indeed frivolous.
However, he also ruled that the plaintif was intitled to reparation from the defendant, since there had been an insurance policy covering fires, and the contract didnt state which fire ocurrences were excluded. Therefore, the plaintif claim was accepted, and the lawyer was granted a hefty sum.Now comes the really fun part: after the lawyer cashed a 15,000 check from the insurance company, the latter filed a criminal charge against the former, accusing him of carrying out 22 fellonies of premediated arsony.
The lawyer (now the defendant) was sentenced to two years in jail and fined in 24,000$.
Well, now i present a question that probably as already been asked here: is the american legal sistem ruled by demented/brainless oafs?
NERVUN
09-09-2005, 12:41
Sorry, Urban Legend.
http://www.snopes.com/crime/clever/cigarson.asp
Sergio the First
09-09-2005, 12:43
Sorry, Urban Legend.
http://www.snopes.com/crime/clever/cigarson.asp
Damn my gullibility!!
Tyma
09-09-2005, 12:51
Damn my gullibility!!

Would have been a nice try though. Except for everyone already hates American lawyers.... inlcuding Americans. Ya know, the old thing about how the Titantic coulda been a good event... If it woulda been a pure lawyer convention thing.

:eek: :sniper:
Sergio the First
09-09-2005, 13:24
Would have been a nice try though. Except for everyone already hates American lawyers.... inlcuding Americans. Ya know, the old thing about how the Titantic coulda been a good event... If it woulda been a pure lawyer convention thing.

:eek: :sniper:
Well.lawyer are equally hated everywhere, believe me.