Insurance Co. of North America v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance

Neither the Court of Appeals nor this Court has heretofore been called upon to decide whether Maryland shall follow the strict or conversion rule, the moderate or minor deviation rule, or the liberal rule, in construing the omnibus clause of automobile insurance policies. The appellate courts of this State have not had that issue put squarely to them so that there has been no need to favor any particular rule over another. This appeal, however, calls upon us to take a stand as to which route we shall hereafter journey in interpreting omnibus clauses.

The factual setting from which the issue…