Most people are aware if the necessity of buying enough personal insurance coverage for their property like their homes and cars etc. This is because almost every adult realizes That these things can someday be damaged, stolen, or lost, which means someone has to pay for the replacements.
But what about coverage for the things that can’t be bought at a store, put a monetary value on, or replaced? For instance, things such as financial security for the future, maintaining an accustomed standard of life, sustaining a good quality of life, retirement, college education and of course peace of mind. This is where the personal umbrella insurance policy enters the picture.
For example, what if you were driving and looked down to see a text, smashed into the vehicle in front of you and caused an accident that critically injured or killed someone? Most likely you would be sued for a higher amount than covered by your existing car insurance policy. If that were to happen, they could take your home, cars, belongings and future earnings.
So let’s say you had $100,000/$300,000 limits on your auto liability. But you hurt someone and were sued for $900,000. Where would the additional $800,000 come from? In this example if you had a $1,000,000 in umbrella insurance – after the $100,000 of auto liability was exhausted – the umbrella excess liability would kick in and pay the extra $800,000. If you didn’t have the umbrella you would be responsible to pay the 800k out of pocket.
Many people have the misconception that umbrella insurance policies are only meant for the rich. That is not accurate at all – just about anybody who could be subject to legal action due to causing serious injury to somebody – whether the injury is caused by your child, your pet, or you. For example, say your child’s friend was seriously injured while playing in your backyard, or your dog attacked your neighbor, or if a guest drown in your pool? The umbrella policy can help you to pay for the medical and legal costs without stealing your financial future.
As you would with any kind of insurance policy, you should read the coverages and exclusions to find out if it’s the coverage you need. This will also help you to decide whether you want to simply increase the liability limits on your home and auto policies, or go for the extra liability limits of a personal umbrella policy.
The best way to do this is to compare the costs and coverage, make an assessment of your risk, and see if you think you need the extra coverage. This will help you to make an informed choice between upgrading the policies you already have or opting for the additional liability protection umbrella insurance offers you.
If you are looking for state specific Umbrella Insurance quotes, costs and information:
