First and foremost, what follows is not legal advice. That can only come from a qualified attorney who is familiar with all the facts and circumstances of a particular, specific case and the law in which that cases arises. The following is a brief summary of the general law in the United States. By definition this explanation is flawed because there is no such thing as the general law of the United States. The law differs from state to state and while there are similarities, do not rely upon this article as legal advice.
American law is driven by different fact patterns.
Change one or two facts in a common fact pattern and the results may be different. In virtually all states the laws applying to the interpretation of the enforcement of insurance contracts follow common public policy themes, but there are variations. As a result this is only a general outline of what the law may be in any particular state. Coverage attorneys incorporate new case law into policies and regularly re-write their contract. Terms that may appear to a consumer to be simple English may have their origin in a legal opinion and may have been given a special interpretation.