For the past 14 years I have come up with a list of the 10 most significant liability coverage cases each year. It never occurred to me, until now, to put together a list of the 10 most significant coverage cases of all-time. These are the cases, more than any others, that exerted huge influence over the national coverage landscape.

A list like this is possible because, although insurance coverage depends on the underlying contract and state law, courts frequently look to other states for guidance, especially when confronting a case of first impression. By this process, some coverage cases—ones that are frequently turned to for guidance—can come to play a significant part in the development of coverage law on a national basis.

It goes without saying that such a list is incredibly subjective and subject to fair debate. Case in point: Six of the 10 cases on my all-time list don't appear on the International Risk Management Institute's list of the "50 Insurance Cases Every Self-Respecting Attorney or Risk Professional Should Know."