Nationwide Insurance won a federal court case yesterday  that frees the industry from paying certain claims against damage by Hurricane Katrina last year.

The gist of the ruling(PDF) is that the damages were from flooding, and the plaintiffs did not have flood insurance. The plaintiffs argued that their policy covered wind damage, and the flooding resulted from a wind storm—a hurricane. The judge decided a flood's a flood, no matter how it gets to you.

Opinions  will certainly run the gamut . For now, both sides claim victory: Nationwide for saving money and the plaintiffs because the judgment concluded that provisions for denying coverage are ambiguous. Judge Senter , who ruled in the case, is presiding over a huge number of suits brought against insurers by Katrina's victims.

(One of the more interesting pieces of Leonard v. Nationwide is the Leonards' complaint that the insurance agent told them they didn't need flood insurance. Good advice or bad, the guy is on the hook for keeping their premiums down.)

Whatever the outcomes that follow, it is imperative that you get knowledge about insurance in general, as much as getting knowledge about the insurance you need for your situation. Insurance Consumers  has a very helpful website to help you look deeper and ask the right questions. It reminds us that it's not just about cheaper rates.

And governments might actually help you . The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (yes, really) has this contact map  to help you find the people whose job it is to look out for your interests.