8 canonical passages across 7 cases, quoted by 72 opinions in total. These passages cluster together because the same opinions keep quoting them side by side — they state parts of one doctrine. The anchor passage is from Mitchell v. AARP LIFE INSURANCE PROGRAM.
| # | Case | Flag | Canonical passage | Citers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchell v. AARP LIFE INSURANCE PROGRAM Anchor | green | “the interpretation of an insurance policy is governed by the same principles generally applicable to the construction of other contracts.” | 12 |
| 2 | Universal Underwriters Insurance v. Lowe | green | “deciding the issue of coverage under an insurance policy, the primary principle of construction is to apply the terms of the insurance contract itself.” | 11 |
| 3 | Valliere v. Allstate Insurance | green | “when a policy defines a term in a manner which differs from the ordinary understanding of that term, the policy definition controls.” | 9 |
| 4 | MAMSI Life & Health Insurance v. Callaway | green | “interpretation of insurance contracts to determine the scope and limitations of the insurance coverage, like any other contract, begins with the language employed by the parties.” | 8 |
| 5 | Universal Underwriters Insurance v. Lowe | green | “analyze the plain language of an insurance contract according to the words and phrases in their ordinary and accepted meanings as defined by what a reasonably prudent lay person would understand them to mean.” | 8 |
| 6 | Clendenin Bros. v. United States Fire Insurance | green | “if ambiguity is determined to remain after consideration of extrinsic evidence, 'it will ordinarily be resolved against the party who drafted the contract,' where no material evidentiary factual dispute exists.” | 8 |
| 7 | Connors v. Government Employees Insurance | green | “construes that language 'liberally in favor of the insured and against the insurer as drafter of the instrument.” | 8 |
| 8 | Mitchell v. AARP Life Insurance Program | green | “the interpretation of an insurance policy is governed by the same principles generally applicable to the construction of other contracts.” | 8 |
A red or yellow flag on a member means the underlying case has negative treatment — for those, check the case page before relying on the passage.