You’ve made an excellent decision to add an umbrella policy to your personal insurance coverage. Now you’re working through how much coverage you need.
It’s easier to know “how much” insurance you need when you know what items to include in your policy.
What is umbrella insurance? It’s a policy that picks up where your primary home, auto, or other liability leaves off when a claim amount exceeds the coverage of those policies.
To make sure your umbrella policy is effective, you need to make sure the right items are in your policy. Here are eleven critical things to include in your umbrella insurance policy.
1. Pain and Suffering
If you’ve watched any legal television drama, you’ve probably heard the phrase “pain and suffering.”
If you’re involved in a car accident and the other driver or occupant makes a personal injury claim, they can include physical or mental pain and suffering beyond medical bills.
Most auto insurance policies don’t cover pain and suffering. Your umbrella insurance helps cover these costs while minimizing your out-of-pocket expense.
2. Dog Bites or Injury
If your dog gets loose and bites or injures someone or another animal, you’re liable for that injury. If your homeowner’s policy doesn’t cover the incident, an umbrella policy can cover the costs of the claim by the injured person.
3. Lawsuit Defense Costs
Have you ever been the target of a lawsuit? It’s an expensive event.
Your umbrella insurance helps pay for court fees and lawyer expenses during the course of your defense.
If the court rules against you, funds from your umbrella policy can go toward the cost of the amount you owe to the other party.
4. Extracurricular Activities (Kid Edition)
Did you know? Coaching your child’s little league game is a dangerous extracurricular activity. If you get injured by a rogue ball or tackle, the medical costs to treat your injury can be expensive.
Be sure your umbrella policy covers these kinds of activities to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.
5. Extracurricular Activities (Adult Edition)
If you love adventure or dangerous activities, you need an umbrella policy that covers you in case you injure someone else doing what you love.
From skiing to hunting, even with the best safety precautions, an accident can cause a serious (and expensive) injury to others. Umbrella insurance helps cover costs if you’re sued (see #3 above) and fees associated with a settlement.
6. Slander, Eviction, or False Arrest
Your reputation affects many aspects of your life, including to make a living. If you’re falsely arrested or imprisoned, your umbrella policy helps you fight back.
Funds from your policy can help you reclaim your reputation and pay for the costs of defense in these cases.
7. Your Kid’s Behavior
Has your child ever been in a fight at school? Has your teen ever done a prank they thought was funny—and it caused damage to someone’s property?
If your child gets in a fight and injures another student or a teacher, you’ll be responsible for injury claims or lawsuits. When your neighbor knocks on your door with an estimate for damages caused by your child’s behavior, you’ll have to cover those expenses.
Use your umbrella insurance to protect yourself in those situations and minimize your financial responsibility.
8. Landlord Liability
When you own rental property, you can be responsible for a tenant’s injury on your property.
If an injury is a result of neglecting a repair or another dangerous aspect of your rental property, a tenant can sue you for liability. One expensive lawsuit can ruin your rental property business and your reputation as a good landlord.
Be sure your umbrella policy helps ease your financial responsibility for this kind of liability as a landlord.
9. Your Volunteer Service
You give of your time to your favorite local charity. What happens if you’re injured while serving as a volunteer?
Most volunteer opportunities required volunteers to sign a waiver of liability. If you’re injured while on location or when serving off-site as part of the organization, you’re responsible for any expenses that come with your injury.
Your umbrella policy needs to cover this kind of injury. Giving your time to help others shouldn’t put you in a difficult financial situation if you’re injured while volunteering.
10. Injury on Your Property
Most homeowner’s policies include some liability coverage for injuries on your property. However, in some cases, that coverage alone might not be enough to fully cover an unfortunate accident at your home.
You can be financially responsible if you host a party, and a friend’s child falls and get hurt. If you have a buddy come over to help you move some heavy furniture and they injure their back, you could be liable for that, too.
A friend might not seek full damages from you, but that might not be the case for others. If a tree limb from your property falls on a neighbor walking their dog, you could be liable for all expenses related to that injury.
Confirm that your umbrella insurance covers accidental injuries on your property.
11. Indirect Liabilities
These kinds of liabilities are tricky, and it pays to have the comfort of an umbrella policy to protect you from indirect liabilities.
A friend comes by for a few drinks. The leave your house intoxicated and cause an accident. In this scenario, you could be partially responsible for contributing to the crash by neglecting to offer your friend a place to stay until they are sober.
Indirect liabilities can be costly if you don’t have enough coverage through an umbrella policy.
Your Umbrella Insurance Policy Covers Your Life!
An umbrella insurance policy isn’t an “extra” policy—it’s the coverage you need to go beyond the limitations of other standard home or auto policies.
Let HH Insurance help you find the right umbrella policy and coverage for your needs. We provide insurance estimate within hours, not days! Contact us for a quote today.
**This blog provides a brief overview of the terms and phrases used within the insurance industry. These definitions are not applicable in all states or for all insurance and financial products. This is not an insurance contract. Other terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Please read your official policy for full details about coverage. These definitions do not alter or modify the terms of any insurance contract.