Will my insurance cover me entirely? It's a common question when accidents happen.
If damages exceed your homeowners insurance or car insurance limits, that's when umbrella insurance kicks in. Umbrella coverage is a cost-effective way to protect your assets when the unexpected happens.
Umbrella insurance is a cost-effective way to protect your assets (like your home or retirement savings) from lawsuits.
Myth: My home insurance and auto insurance provide all the coverage I need.
Fact: Your policies have limits. A common liability limit for an auto policy is $250,000 and home policy is $300,000. If you exceeded either, would you have enough to pay the difference out of your own pocket?
Myth: Umbrella insurance is only for wealthy people.
Fact: Umbrella insurance protects assets and investments from lawsuits benefitting almost everyone.
Myth: Umbrella insurance has limited benefits.
Fact: Umbrella insurance protects your assets and investments, covers defense costs in the case of a personal lawsuit, and provides personal injury protection for perceived libel, slander or defamation of character.
Why umbrella insurance? Because even with insurance coverage, after a lawsuit judgement, you could owe hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
3 umbrella insurance examples:
- Umbrella insurance at home: A group of children is playing on the swingset in your yard. One of them falls off the slide. The child’s injuries are serious and require long-term care. You are legally required to pay $1.2 million in damages. Your home insurance liability coverage will pay $300,000. Your umbrella insurance policy (if you have one) will pay the remaining $900,000.
- Umbrella insurance on the road: You are driving on the freeway and accidentally hit the back of a minivan carrying 6 passengers. Three people are seriously injured. You are legally required to pay $750,000. Your auto liability coverage could pay $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident. Your umbrella policy (if you have one) will pay the remaining $250,000.
- Umbrella insurance in a rental: You live in a top-floor apartment. You turn on the water to take a bath but fall asleep. The bathtub floods several apartments below. That causes your neighbor’s electronics to short out and start a fire, which results in even more damage. You are legally required to pay $150,000 for the losses. The liability portion of your renters insurance will cover the first $100,000. Your umbrella policy (if you have one) will pay the remaining $50,000.
Our requirements for purchasing umbrella insurance:
- An auto insurance policy with liability limit of at least $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident.
- Home insurance policy with liability coverage limit of at least $300,000 per incident.