No one wants to have a lawsuit filed against them. The effects of a lawsuit can be devastating and may result in loss of your financial assets, home, vehicles or future earnings. If someone is injured on your SW Florida property or suffers serious injury as a result of an accident caused by you, your spouse or child, you could be found to be legally liable. However, a personal liability policy or an umbrella policy is an affordable way to protect your family.
An underlying homeowner’s, renter’s or automobile insurance policy may provide basic liability coverage. It is possible to get additional liability coverage under these existing policies, however there is a limit to the amount that can be purchased. Without a personal umbrella policy, if a claim exceeds the limits of your underlying policies, you could find yourself financially responsible for any amount over the limits of your basic policy. As liability judgment amounts continue to increase, it is not uncommon for judgments to top hundreds of thousands of dollars or upwards of millions of dollars.
When you have a personal umbrella policy, once the limits are reached on your underlying coverage, the personal umbrella policy kicks in to protect you by providing the following:
- Additional liability coverage starting at $1 million, with higher limits available depending on your needs for your primary and secondary homes, rental properties, automobile, motorcycle, watercraft, RV and other personal property.
- Coverage for most types of accidents, not just auto accidents.
- Payment for defense fees, attorney fees and other expenses related to the accident.
- Extended liability protection for your current assets and future earnings.
A personal umbrella policy not only takes over when your primary policy limits have been exhausted, but also offers broader coverage than your standard homeowner/renter or auto insurance policies. With the cost starting at less than a dollar a day, a personal umbrella policy is an ideal way to ensure that your family and everything you have worked hard for is fully protected.
