Umbrella insurance protects you from additional liability. Where your underlying policies’ liability coverage ends, an umbrella policy takes over.
Umbrella policies are typically sold in $1 million increments and provide additional financial protection in the event of a covered peril. An umbrella insurance policy is typically inexpensive, providing an inexpensive way to maximize your protection.
You shouldn’t have to worry about being sued for no reason and losing everything you’ve worked for. So, how do you safeguard yourself—and your money?
It’s known as umbrella insurance. Umbrella insurance protects you from lawsuits and large claims that your homeowners or auto insurance policies do not cover.
What Exactly Is Umbrella Insurance?
Let’s start with your auto and homeowners policies. They provide personal liability coverage in addition to covering damage to your car and home.
This coverage kicks in if someone is injured on your property or if you injure someone (or their property) in a car accident. Umbrella insurance fills gaps in your home, auto, and even boat insurance policies.
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Umbrella insurance is a type of personal liability insurance that protects you (as well as your family and other household members) from large claims or lawsuits that exceed the limits of your other insurance policies. Umbrella insurance, like an umbrella for the rain, protects your money by filling the financial gap that your primary liability insurance does not cover.
How does umbrella insurance work?
You may be interested in seeing personal umbrella insurance in action now that you understand what it is. Here are some examples of umbrella policies in action:
- You cause a car accident and injure someone: Assume you cause a car accident that results in serious injuries to the other party. If you have $100,000 in bodily injury liability per person on your auto policy, but their total injuries are $175,000, your umbrella policy may step in to pay the $75,000 overage, allowing you to avoid paying out of pocket.
- Someone drowns in your pool: If someone is injured or drowns in your pool, the financial consequences can be devastating. Most home insurance policies include $100,000 to $300,000 in personal liability coverage, but an umbrella policy may provide additional protection in situations such as pool injuries.
- You cause damage to a rented home: Assume you rent a home for a vacation and fail to properly extinguish the campfire on the deck. If your actions cause a fire that damages the house, your home insurance policy and your umbrella policy may cover the costs.
Except in certain cases where coverage isn’t available from your underlying policy but covered by an umbrella policy, you’ll rarely file a claim for a new incident directly on your umbrella policy. If something happens, whether it’s covered by your auto, home, or other insurance policy, you’ll usually file a claim on the policy that covers it first.
What is the scope of an umbrella policy?
When faced with costly liability claims, an umbrella policy may provide peace of mind, but it is important to understand what it does and does not cover. Most umbrella policies will cover the following:
Bodily injury
Umbrella policies may provide additional liability coverage for injuries you cause to others, whether they occur in an at-fault auto accident, at your home, or elsewhere. If you are found liable for injuries, your umbrella policy may cover some of the costs.
Pet incidents (dog bites) and car accidents are also covered under bodily injury protection. So, if your dog decides it doesn’t like your neighbor and launches an attack, you’ll be protected if your neighbor decides to sue you.
Landlord liability
Some umbrella policies include landlord liability coverage. For example, if you own a home that you rent out, you may be held liable for injuries that occur there.
Perhaps the concrete sidewalk leading to the front door has been heaved and a tenant’s guest trips and breaks an arm. After your landlord policy’s limit is reached, your umbrella policy may help cover the damages.
Renter Property
If you own rental property, umbrella insurance can provide additional protection against landlord liability. So, if someone falls on your rental property’s steps and sues, you’ll be covered.
Damage to People’s Reputations
Slander, libel, and defamation If you harmed someone’s reputation, even if it was done online, you could be sued for a large sum of money.
Umbrella insurance will protect you if you are sued for slander, libel, or defamation. With everything that goes on in social media and online these days, this type of coverage is especially important. A restaurant, for example, could sue you for leaving a negative review online.
Fees for Legal Services
Lawyers are not cheap. So, if someone sues you, whether justified or not, you could face some hefty legal fees.
And the last thing you want is to have to pay for your own defense. Don’t let others steal your hard-earned money—get umbrella insurance.
Personal injury
Personal injury coverage pays for legal fees if you are sued for libel, slander, or wrongful eviction. Personal injury coverage is frequently excluded from homeowners policies, though an endorsement can sometimes add it.
Your umbrella policy may cover personal injury claims even if your home insurance does not. In this case, your umbrella coverage may kick in even if no claim is filed on the underlying policy.
Umbrella policies, in general, cover liability claims that exceed the limits of your underlying policies. In rare cases, an umbrella policy may provide coverage for incidents that are not covered by your underlying policies.
What Doesn’t Umbrella Insurance Cover?
Umbrella insurance does not provide comprehensive coverage. Here are a few examples of incidents that fall outside of that category:
Personal belongings
Umbrella insurance will not cover you if you accidentally damage your own property. This is because it is a liability policy, which means it only applies if you are at fault for causing damage to other people’s property.
So, if you thought driving your motorcycle into the pool was a good idea (you were trying to ramp over it, right? ), and the oil, gasoline, and brake fluid have now damaged your pool, don’t expect your umbrella insurance to cover the repair costs.
Intentional Injury
Umbrella insurance will not protect you if you intentionally injure or damage someone’s property. Those medical bills or lawsuits will have to be paid out of your own pocket. Just another reason why crime doesn’t pay.
Water Invasion
Many people believe that flood damage is covered by property insurance. Nope. And umbrella insurance is no exception. If you live in a flood-prone area, you must purchase separate flood insurance.
However, if you leave the bathtub faucet on by accident, flooding your apartment, and your neighbors sue you for water damage in their apartment, umbrella insurance will cover the lawsuit.
Business Mishaps
If you own your own business, umbrella insurance will not protect you from such liability incidents. Commercial insurance is required for this.
Injuries to Contract Workers
If you’re remodeling your home, make sure your contractor is insured.
This is due to the fact that your own umbrella insurance will not protect you if a worker is injured on your property. Some people inadvertently sign contracts that hold them liable for the workers.
And, while we’re on the subject of construction companies, umbrella insurance won’t help you if you’re sued for failing to keep your end of the bargain in a contract.
What Is the Difference Between Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?
Umbrella insurance is sometimes confused with excess liability protection. But don’t be perplexed. These are two separate policies.
Excess liability insurance is an additional layer of protection that can be added to a homeowners insurance policy, for example. It provides additional coverage in areas that are already covered by a standard home insurance policy.
However, it does not cover the same things that an umbrella insurance policy does. Excess liability, for example, does not help with slander or libel lawsuits.
Is Umbrella Insurance Necessary?
You may be wondering how to tell if you need umbrella insurance.
If your net worth exceeds $500,000, you must have umbrella insurance. You also need it if you make a good living, are starting to accumulate wealth in your retirement accounts, and have a paid-for home or a significant amount of equity. Otherwise, you’re putting your finances at risk.
In general, the more assets you have, the more you stand to lose. And because so many people are willing to sue over almost anything these days, wealthy people frequently have a target on their back.
However, if you have a solid umbrella insurance policy, you won’t be up at night worrying about expensive lawsuits wiping out your hard-earned wealth—or who you might have offended on the internet. You’ll be at ease knowing that your money is secure.
What is the cost of umbrella insurance?
Umbrella insurance premiums vary. Many of the factors that influence the cost of your home insurance and auto insurance may also influence the cost of your umbrella policy.
These could include your home’s features, the types of cars you drive, and your claims history. The cost will also vary depending on the amount of coverage you purchase.
Most umbrella policies start at $1 million, but for a higher premium, you may be able to purchase higher limits. Furthermore, the number of underlying policies that an umbrella covers may influence costs.
A $1 million umbrella that provides additional coverage for a home and auto policy, for example, will likely cost less than a $1 million umbrella that covers a home policy, an auto policy, a vacation home policy, and a boat policy. This is because the company issuing the umbrella policy likely considers additional underlying policies to be more risky.
Many auto and home insurance companies also provide umbrella insurance. If you already have a homeowners or auto policy, you could inquire with your agent about umbrella coverage. Before you can get an umbrella policy, your insurer will most likely have some requirements you must meet. For example, it’s common for any underlying policy to have a certain level of liability coverage in order to qualify for an umbrella. It is also possible that you will be required to bundle your underlying policies with the same insurer.
Some homeowners insurance companies may allow you to increase your liability limit to $1 million or more, removing the need for an umbrella insurance policy. Keep in mind, however, that increasing your liability limits on your home policy does not affect your liability limits on your other policies. An umbrella policy adds liability coverage to all of your underlying policies.
Conclusion on umbrella insurance coverage
Umbrella insurance adds a layer of financial protection against liability claims. Even if you don’t have high-value assets or elements that pose a higher level of risk, umbrella coverage may be worth considering. If you’re unsure whether an umbrella policy is right for you, consult with a licensed insurance agent or financial advisor.
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