# You mean I can get 40 grand and all I hace to do is cut off 2 fingers? Who hoo! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812 "2003-09-15T21:32:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/1 "2003-09-15T21:32:49Z")
[What a great scam!](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=1&u=/nm/20030915/od_nm/odd_germany_fingers_dc) Bill two insurance companies each for a single injury, and pocket the extra money. Even better, don’t wait for a REAL accident, make one! How often do I need my thumb anyway? With my rusty chainsaw, I might even get lucky and pick up a case of lockjaw. Easy money! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/2 "2003-09-15T21:39:54Z")
_looks at the two bandaids on two separate fingers on two separate hands_ Think this might be worth $400? ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/3 "2003-09-15T22:18:09Z")
His thumb? This guy cut off his thumb and first finger in an insurance scam? Wouldn’t you at least cut off the useless ones? ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/4 "2003-09-15T22:43:52Z")
I think some insurance plans pay more for the good fingers. ---
**Author:** ![misshornypenny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@misshornypenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misshornypenny)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/5 "2003-09-15T22:58:50Z")
sounds like the movie ‘four rooms’ to me. jeez, they couldn’t at least be original with their scam! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/6 "2003-09-15T23:07:52Z")
He might have had bigger plans. Perhaps, as a landscaper, he thought he could parlay the hand injury into some kind of disability retirement pension. Then he’d have it made. You only need one hand to slug down the beer at the Rathskellar. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/7 "2003-09-16T15:27:34Z")
He’s on probation. If he ever cuts off those two fingers again he could go to jail. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/8 "2003-09-16T15:37:33Z")
Yeah, but he got caught red-handed. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/9 "2003-09-16T15:46:25Z")
He’s gonna miss the digital gardening revolution. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/10 "2003-09-16T18:05:53Z")
> [@](#): > > sounds like the movie ‘four rooms’ to me. > jeez, they couldn’t at least be original with their scam! [OT]Actually, by its own acknowledgment, the segment in **Four Rooms** wasn’t that original. It was based on a Roald Dahl short story, _The Man from the South_, that was subsequently dramatized on TV several times (most memorably on an ep of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” with Steve McQueen and Peter Lorre that was also directed by Hitchcock).[OT] As for the OP, given how most insurance companies are loathe to making huge payments for claims, I would think they would thoroughly investigate the incident before paying out. If there was any hint it was due to chicanery (or stupidity), they would likely reduce the recovery substantially if not outright. ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-mean-i-can-get-40-grand-and-all-i-hace-to-do-is-cut-off-2-fingers-who-hoo/201812/11 "2003-09-16T18:07:58Z")
Hah. They were just being more careful than [these](http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2002-01.html) guys.