arson
the illegal starting of fires in order to damage or destroy property
TRANSLATION
die Brandstiftung
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
ARSON attack on HK subway. A fire on a Hong Kong subway train may have been caused by ARSON, according to eyewitnesses. One carriage was engulfed in smoke as the train arrived in Admiralty station, one of the busiest on Hong Kong's underground network.
(BBC News - 5th Jan 2004)
(BBC News - 5th Jan 2004)
Did you
know?
arson
Etymology: Anglo-French arsoun, alteration of Old French arsin act of burning, from ars, past participle of ardre to burn, from Latin from Latin arsus, past participle of ardere, to burn.
Date: circa 1680
: the willful or malicious burning of property (as a building) especially with criminal or fraudulent intent
(source: Merriam Webster)
LAWYER STORY
This is probably the best lawyer story of the year, decade, and probably the century:
A Charlotte, NC lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars and then insured them against fire, among other things.
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, giving the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyer sued.... and won!
In 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 in which it had agreed 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 a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the decision and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare 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 evidence from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and he was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay a $24,000 fine.
--
NOTE:
fraudulent arson = die Eigenbrandstiftung
malicious arson = vorsätzliche Brandstiftung
Etymology: Anglo-French arsoun, alteration of Old French arsin act of burning, from ars, past participle of ardre to burn, from Latin from Latin arsus, past participle of ardere, to burn.
Date: circa 1680
: the willful or malicious burning of property (as a building) especially with criminal or fraudulent intent
(source: Merriam Webster)
LAWYER STORY
This is probably the best lawyer story of the year, decade, and probably the century:
A Charlotte, NC lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars and then insured them against fire, among other things.
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, giving the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyer sued.... and won!
In 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 in which it had agreed 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 a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the decision and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare 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 evidence from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and he was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay a $24,000 fine.
--
NOTE:
fraudulent arson = die Eigenbrandstiftung
malicious arson = vorsätzliche Brandstiftung
