The Maryland Insurance Company v. Ruden's Administrator was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1810. The court had to decide whether or not an insurance company could be held liable for damages caused by a fire that occurred on property owned by one of its policyholders, even though the policyholder had failed to pay their premiums and thus their coverage lapsed before the fire occurred. The court found that since there was no evidence of fraud or bad faith on behalf of either party, and because it would have been impossible for the insurer to know when exactly the fire took place, they were not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of it. This decision established important precedent regarding liability in cases involving insurance policies where payments are missed prior to an incident occurring which results in damage being done.

In the case of The Maryland Insurance Company v. Ruden's Administrator, Chief Justice Marshall delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the court should not have granted judgment for the defendant on grounds of fraud and mistake. He believed that if there was any evidence to support such claims, it should be presented at trial so that both parties could present their arguments before a jury. Furthermore, he argued that even if fraud or mistake had been proven by one party or another, it would still be necessary to determine whether those facts were sufficient to invalidate an insurance contract between two parties who had entered into it with full knowledge of its terms and conditions. In conclusion, Chief Justice Marshall asserted his belief that granting judgment without allowing either side to present their respective cases violated due process and constituted an injustice against both parties involved in this dispute.