Personal Umbrella

Why do I need a Personal Umbrella policy?

Jury awards and out-of-court settlements routinely run into hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Add to this the cost of legal fees, and the expense becomes staggering. An unexpected catastrophe could result in a large judgment against you. Without adequate protection, your current assets could be placed in serious jeopardy.

A Personal Umbrella policy could protect you against excess liability judgments for loss, injury, or even death caused by negligent acts. It is designed to provide liability protection over and above the insurance policies you currently have.

Consider the following example:

One evening a 17-year old took his parent’s car out for a drive. He crossed over a median and collided head-on with another vehicle. Two passengers in the other car were killed, and a third was seriously injured. The 17-year old driver was found negligent and ordered to pay $1.5 million to settle the injury claims. The parents had an auto policy with a $300,000 per claim liability limit. Fortunately the parents carried a Personal Umbrella policy. The auto policy paid $300,000, and the Personal Umbrella policy paid the remaining $1.2 million.

With a Personal Umbrella policy, you are covered if the limits under your primary policy are used up. Your assets, as well as your future earnings, are protected.

In today’s society, lawsuits are occurring with alarming frequency. Moreover, the monetary awards can be staggering. Your current insurance will protect you against a minor misfortune – but it probably would not give you the needed protection against a catastrophic loss.