Life can be unpredictable, and unexpected events can sometimes lead to big financial problems, even for careful and responsible people. While having basic insurance for your home, car, or rental property is essential, these policies might not cover everything. This is where an umbrella policy comes in handy, giving you extra protection when you need it most.
What is an Umbrella Policy?
An umbrella policy is extra insurance that goes beyond the limits of your regular policies. It acts like a safety net, covering costs that your standard insurance can’t handle. Think of it as an umbrella (extra insurance) that shields you from heavy rain (catastrophic claim). The coverage from an umbrella can be triggered by a claim on your home or auto policy.
Why Should You Get an Umbrella Policy?
Extra Coverage for Big Claims: Accidents can happen anytime, and they can be expensive. If you’re responsible for a serious car accident or someone gets hurt on your property, the injury costs might exceed your insurance limits. An umbrella policy covers those extra expenses, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket (up to the limit of the policy).
Protection Against Lawsuits: We live in a society where lawsuits are filed for all kinds of reasons. If someone sues you for defamation or because of an injury on your property, the legal fees and settlement costs can be overwhelming. Umbrella insurance helps cover these costs.
Protecting Your Assets: You’ve worked hard for your savings, investments, and property. Without an umbrella policy, a large claim could force you to sell assets or drain your savings. A judge could also order your wages to be garnished to pay a judgement.
Affordable Peace of Mind: Despite offering extensive coverage, an umbrella policy is very inexpensive and gives you additional discounts on your auto and home policies. Given the potential financial burden of a major claim, the cost of an umbrella policy is a small price to pay for significant peace of mind.
Real-Life Examples of Umbrella Policy Benefits
Imagine you’re in a car accident and found at fault. The total damage and medical bills exceed your auto insurance limits by $500,000. Without an umbrella policy, you would have to pay that amount yourself. If you have half a million dollars sitting around, wouldn’t you rather use it for you and your families benefit, instead of paying for a stranger’s injuries? With an umbrella policy, the extra costs are covered, protecting your finances (up to the policy limits).
In another scenario, if your dog bites a neighbor’s child, leading to high medical bills and a lawsuit, your homeowner’s insurance might not cover everything. If the settlement exceeds your policy limits, an umbrella policy would take care of the remaining amount, keeping your savings intact (up to the policy limits).
If you have a pool on your property and you don’t have an umbrella policy in place, get one immediately! There are so many ways that a guest can get hurt – this is a big exposure for risk.
Who Needs an Umbrella Policy?
While everyone can benefit from an umbrella policy, it’s especially important for people with significant assets, business owners, landlords, or anyone at a higher risk of being sued.
Want to learn more about umbrella policies? Contact us today! Share this post with friends and family to spread the word about the importance of extra insurance coverage. Follow us on social media for more tips on protecting your future!
Do I really need to think about insurance during the holiday season? I am already so busy and being pulled in lots of different directions! I don’t like to think about insurance on a normal day, much less in December!
I am right there with you! My to-do list is ever-growing.
However, Merry Christmas can become Miserable Christmas quickly.
Here is a short and easy list of things to remember during this time.
1. Are you purchasing any jewelry this holiday season? If so, be sure you contact your insurance agent, especially if it’s an expensive piece. Engagement ring? Special bracelet? The value of the item may push it out of range for the basic coverage on your homeowner’s policy or your renter’s policy. Quickly email your agent with a description of the piece and the valuation and find out if it needs to be scheduled on your policy separately. Do this as soon as you buy it, just in case.
2. DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR CAR. Whether your car is parked in the mall parking lot or your driveway, be sure you remove everything from your car that could be attractive to thieves. Remind guests at your home to do the same. A smash and grab can happen so quickly! You would hate to have to replace the items stolen AND file an insurance claim.
Breaking into Vehicle
3. Be aware of extra fire risks. Lots of people use more candles, light fires, etc. at this time of year. Extinguish anything burning before you leave the house. Pay attention to curtains, pillows, extra blankets, the Christmas tree skirt and coats.
House Fire
4. Slip and falls accidents are a real hazard with the icy weather and more guests visiting your home or business. Keep up with ice/snow removal and assist guests or family members as needed.
Home in Winter
5. Your furry family members disguised as dogs might need some special attention this time of year too. Extra people in the house and lots of excitement can put pressure on your dog and cause them to behave in ways that are outside of their norm. Dog bites are one of the top homeowner’s claims so be aware of how your pet is dealing with the fun and put them safely away.
Scared Dog
A couple of extra minutes to ensure your home, vehicle and family members are safe can keep your holiday season merry.
Kids driving golf carts are a common sight on golf courses. Many parents and kids are not aware of the legal implications that come with this type of driving, not to mention the fact that it’s illegal for non-licensed drivers to operate a golf cart.
Some excuses I’ve heard for allowing kids to drive a golf cart:
It’s good practice for driving a car.
It’s just fun!
Golf carts don’t weigh much.
Golf carts don’t travel very fast.
They are driving on a cart path, not a street.
What would happen if your child was driving with a few friends as passengers and someone really gets hurt? Who would pay for the doctor and hospital bills? If there is a liability lawsuit, who is going to pay for those damages? Most families don’t have thousands and thousands of dollars sitting around to pay a judgement. I know I sure don’t!
What are some insurance coverages that you can purchase to help protect yourself?
Liability Protection
Golf cart liability insurance provides coverage for any injury or accident that may occur while using a golf cart. Liability insurance is often required by the club or course and it is important to purchase this insurance before using a golf cart.
Injuries and accidents happen all the time, so it is important to be prepared when they do happen. Liability insurance can help cover costs like medical bills, lost wages, punitive damages, and pain and suffering if someone gets hurt while driving your golf cart. Ask your agent about adding an endorsement for the cart, and transfer that risk from your personal pocketbook to your insurance company.
2. Theft Protection
What will happen if your golf cart is stolen? Would you have the funds available to replace it? If you have comprehensive coverage on your golf cart, you would able to file a claim to receive compensation if it is stolen.
3. Property Protection
If you include collision coverage, the insurance company helps pay for repairs to your own golf cart if you are in an accident. This coverage is very helpful for the more expensive golf carts out on the course.
The best way to prevent an accident with your non-driving age kids and your golf cart is to make sure they don’t drive the golf cart. Remove the keys and put them in a safe place that is inaccessible.
Golf carts can be fun, but the damage and injury that can be caused by inexperienced drivers is no laughing matter.
Most of us have auto, home, and life insurance, but having protection against a catastrophic liability claim is often overlooked.
Would you have enough coverage if something like this happened to you?
A jury awarded $900,000 to the estate of a 43 – year – old father that died after an auto accident. The award was based in part on the father’s future earning potential.
While helping a friend paint his home, a 40 – year – old man fell and broke his heel. Although the homeowner was found only partially responsible, the fall cost him $1.2 million dollars.
An umbrella policy will provide you with an additional $1 million dollars or more of coverage over and above your underlying homeowner or personal auto limits. It can offer you an extra layer of protection against the possibility of a high jury award in a personal liability case.
It is especially important to purchase this type of policy if you have wages that can be garnished or assets that can be seized to pay a judgement.
It’s an inexpensive policy with extensive benefits! Contact your insurance agent or our office for more details.
From an insurance point of view, be sure your insurance agent knows about it and adds it to your policy. The coverage is very inexpensive and can save you costly attorney’s bills in the case of a problem.
Why is this important? If you think about it, one of the biggest liabilities a homeowner faces is from a pool. You are subject to claims resulting from someone slipping on the pool deck and getting hurt, hurting themselves diving in, and of course drowning. All of these scenarios create a situation for a major lawsuit and you want your insurance company, not you, to pay out as much as possible in that situation!
Each insurance carrier has their own set of rules and guidelines but some pretty common ones are listed below:
Above ground pools need to have a removable ladder. Remove the ladder and store it away from the pool each night.
Your yard must be fenced.
For in-ground pools, the pool area must have a fence around it with a locking gate.
Store pool chemicals out of reach of children and pets.
Enjoy your backyard and pool oasis with peace of mind! Give your agent a call and have a conversation. You’ll be glad you did.
