The following is a courtroom exchange between a defense attorney and a farmer with a bodily injury claim. It came from a Houston, Texas insurance agent.

Attorney: At the scene of the accident, did you tell the constable you had never felt better in your life?

Farmer: That’s right.

Attorney: Well, then, how is it that you are now claiming you were seriously injured when my client’s auto hit your wagon?

Farmer: When the constable arrived, he went over to my horse, who had a broken leg, and shot him. Then he went over to Rover, my dog, who was in a terrible state, and shot him. When he asked me how I felt, I just thought under the circumstances, it was a wise choice of words to say “I’ve never felt better in my life.”

Vocabulary Help

  • courtroom – corte
  • exchange – diálogo
  • defense attorney – advogado de defesa
  • bodily injury claim – ação de danos físicos
  • constable – policial
  • feel (feel, felt, felt) – sentir
  • injured – ferido
  • wagon – caminhonete
  • horse – cavalo
  • broken leg – perna quebrada
  • shot him – matou-o com um tiro
  • dog – cachorro
  • wise choice – escolha sábia