The Dumbest Things Said To Me By Other Attorneys - The Podcast

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto) 02/18/2016 at 09:00 • Filed to: None

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In 24 years of handling automobile warranty cases, I have heard a number of remarkably stupid things said to me by those who defend the auto manufacturers. I don’t blame the manufacturers: When a lawyer says something stupid, it’s on them. And it’s this week’s podcast.

Lawyers are often asked to defend difficult positions. Some do it by thinking up novel defenses. And some just say stupid stuff. I know this is probably true in other fields. There is probably an accountant or a doctor out there, right now, saying something incredibly idiotic.

But lawyers are supposed to make sound arguments. Believe it or not, the rules of ethics even require it. “Meritorious Claims and Contentions” are !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (and in most states), making much of what I am talking about here unethical. Unfortunately, courts view a lot of this as a grey area and rarely act upon it. Instead, they - like me when I hear it - simply look askance at the person making the dumb statement.

The only difference is that I have a podcast where I can make fun of the dumb statements. Here is the audio:

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And the video:

The top pic, of course, is a German parking deck’s exit signage. It is funny to some juvenile English-speakers. Like me.

Follow me on Twitter: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Hear my podcast on iTunes: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 24 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! His !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was published last week.

This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we’re not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn’t act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > SteveLehto 02/18/2016 at 09:35

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Eight year old me had a lot of fun with the einsfahrt and ausfahrt signs in Germany when I went there with my parents. Adult me still had fun with them while traveling through Switzerland a couple years ago. I’m not saying I giggled every time we passed an ausfahrt, but I can’t say I didn’t giggle either.

EDIT: Now with more Ausfahrt sign. Also a bonus Nissan Micra I think.

Mark Longoria > SteveLehto 02/18/2016 at 09:40

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None of these top your story of the lady whose car was stolen and stripped.

“Your honor nothing of value was taken” on a car where the radio, battery, wheels, etc. had been stolen.

I would have loved to have seen the look on that judges’ face. For that matter, that would have made a great youtube video!

SteveLehto > Mark Longoria 02/18/2016 at 09:44

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The adjuster who was testifying said that UNDER OATH. I am just so used to the idea that insurance people lie - I had forgotten about that one.

Thanks for the note.

Chariotoflove > SteveLehto 02/18/2016 at 10:29

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Great laugh for my morning, thanks. “Stupid lawyer tricks” should be a regular feature.

Also, my next door neighbor is from Germany. Am now working on a mental list of dumb fart jokes.

ateamfan42 > SteveLehto 02/18/2016 at 11:27

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Steve, great article. It always astonishes me how dumb educated people can be. You’d think with all the years of school lawyers have to attend, some measure of basic critical and logical thinking would be universal.

The story about the truck manufacturer trying to shift the blame to the vendor of the console was great. It seems to me the clear argument is that whoever constructed it was moot— the issue is who warrantied it. And that is perfectly clear.

Maine has an interesting and little-known consumer protection law that requires warranties on consumer goods sold in retail stores, regardless of what warranty the manufacturer offers. I’ve used that to replace a defective DVD player a year after the manufacturer’s warranty expired, but it took some negotiations with the store’s manager to get that honored. Their position was that I needed to take it up with the manufacturer, despite the fact that the state statue specifically states that the consumer has the right to return to the store (and not be inconvenienced with returning the product to the manufacturer). Shifting the blame seems to be a common tactic.

ateamfan42 > SteveLehto 02/18/2016 at 11:42

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I doubt insurance adjusters are expected to uphold the same standards of ethics that lawyers are supposed to maintain.

While we all know there are SOME bad, unscupulous lawyers out there, I do hope they are the minority. I wonder if the same could be said for insurance adjusters?

SteveLehto > ateamfan42 02/18/2016 at 11:49

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Clearly, insurance adjusters do not have any ethics standards. Not even when under oath.

ateamfan42 > SteveLehto 02/18/2016 at 12:52

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The work for insurance companies. I don’t have to tell you their only “ethic” is collect as many premiums as possible while paying as few claims (known as “losses”) as possible.

ranwhenparked > SteveLehto 02/18/2016 at 16:56

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Have you ever had the other attorney ask you to give him a break, because you’re both lawyers?

SteveLehto > ranwhenparked 02/18/2016 at 16:59

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Surprisingly, no.

I have asked a cop to give my client a break because he hired a lawyer. As in, If he hired a lawyer and gets no break, it makes ME look bad. And it worked.

SubieNate > SteveLehto 02/19/2016 at 11:49

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Steve, I’ve listened to your podcast quite a bit in the last few months. Your shaming of the insurance companies without naming them outright always gets a laugh. It raises a question though. Are there any insurance companies you would explicitly recommend?

SteveLehto > SubieNate 02/19/2016 at 11:50

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I only deal with the bad ones so I cannot say which ones are good - just the ones I never have to deal with. Just avoid the ones with “State” in their names and be wary of the ones who price advertise (unless all you want is the bare minimum which allows you to drive.)

Dru > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 02/19/2016 at 11:56

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I work for a German company and the word/suffix "fahrt" appears more frequently than my immature brain can handle.

SubieNate > SteveLehto 02/19/2016 at 12:23

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Interestingly, I’m currently insured with the gecko one and have been for the last three years or so. I bought a sportscar as a 23 year old and they were the only one I found at the time that I could afford. I did get 100/300/100 coverage. I’ve personally never had an issue and I’ve had a few incidents that have needed their services. I wonder if it’s a regional thing?

The last time I had to use them, a drunk had walked on my car. I took my car in to my personal favorite shop (off their list) which is NOT a cheap shop. They of course argued with the quote but my bodyman was able to talk them into covering about 90% of what he wanted to do, and the other 10% was minor enough that I couldn’t tell teh difference when I got it back. I wasn’t even personally sure the other 10% was a good idea even though I trust my bodyman.

What? Me Worry? > SteveLehto 02/19/2016 at 13:26

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One must always remember: half of all lawyers are below average.

SteveLehto > What? Me Worry? 02/19/2016 at 13:31

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Yes. I hate those ones.

Andrew > What? Me Worry? 02/19/2016 at 14:17

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Which average? Mode? Mean? Median?

/me is pedant...

luvMeSome142 & some Lincoln! > SteveLehto 02/19/2016 at 14:29

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That was a fun one!

WhiskeyGolf > SteveLehto 02/19/2016 at 18:40

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Hey Steve did your transportation device that got you to Marquette have a key fob? I’m sure you’d get a great reaction if you pointed to the car and hit the lights.

SteveLehto > WhiskeyGolf 02/19/2016 at 18:42

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No, this was a few years ago. It was a Jeep Wrangler. I think she knew I drove up and just felt like telling the judge I was a liar. She was a pathological piece of garbage.

G6GT > SteveLehto 02/19/2016 at 19:05

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I learned something new: I always thought your name was pronounced LEE-toe. After listening to your podcast, I found out that it’s pronounced LAY-toe!

G6GT > SubieNate 02/19/2016 at 19:07

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USAA comes in top of every survey I’ve seen. Even Consumer Reports rates it as the best.

SteveLehto > G6GT 02/19/2016 at 19:17

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It’s Finnish and I am actually mispronouncing it. I don’t speak Finnish though, and saying it properly for me is a struggle. LAY-toe is the most common pronunciation used by English-speakers.

SubieNate > G6GT 02/19/2016 at 21:29

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I have no military family aside from a cousin. :/

jj1013 > SteveLehto 02/21/2016 at 15:09

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TIL: Steve Lehto supports United! GGMU :-D

jj1013 > jj1013 02/21/2016 at 15:30

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Now that I’ve listened to the whole podcast, I’m going to show up at the next Cars-N-Coffee with a pad of sticky notes :-D

Also, this sheds light on why politicians are so awful, since many of them are these types of lawyers first... how do you go about doing your job when so many people around you seem to be out of their minds?

SteveLehto > jj1013 02/21/2016 at 16:25

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It explains a lot, doesn’t it!?

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > SteveLehto 02/25/2016 at 16:50

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Attempt at a psychological ploy? Accuse you of lying to the judge, hoping the judge will think you’re full of it, thus more likely to side with the her?

SteveLehto > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling 02/25/2016 at 18:31

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I’m not sure. She may have just been a kook.

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > SteveLehto 02/25/2016 at 20:50

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(Also, I totally missed this one last week. No idea how :P)

SteveLehto > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling 02/25/2016 at 20:54

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Subscribe and you will never miss a-one!