Personal Insights

The Benefits of Umbrella Insurance: What it Covers

Learn more about the benefits of a personal umbrella insurance policy.

Umbrella insurance can provide an extra level of security for your family when medical, legal, and property damages extend beyond what your home and auto policies cover. It kicks in at higher dollar levels and also extends to special situations involving pets, lawsuits, and foreign travel.

Wondering whether or not umbrella insurance is right for you? Here are a few examples of how a personal umbrella policy may help provide an extra layer of protection.

Home Accidents

Umbrella insurance can cover bodily injury liability from accidents that occur at home. For example, if your guests are injured in a swimming pool or on a trampoline, or even if a passerby simply trips on an uneven sidewalk leading to your house, you could be held responsible for medical bills or liability claims. If your home insurance policy doesn’t explicitly include such accidents, an umbrella policy may cover injuries for guests who require medical attention.

Pet-Related Incidents

If you have a dog or cat that bites, scratches, or injures someone, you could be held responsible for medical expenses as well as lost income. In cases like these, an umbrella policy may help you cover any bodily injury liability.

Lawsuits

If you find yourself being sued for any reason, a personal umbrella policy may help go above and beyond your standard auto and home policies to protect your home and financial accounts. For example, if you’re involved in a car accident resulting in medical-related damages that exceed your auto insurance policy’s bodily injury coverage limit, an umbrella insurance policy can cover the remaining amount in order to avoid future garnishment of your wages or other legal action.

Damage Caused by Dependents

An umbrella policy could cover damage inflicted by young children. For instance, if your child is playing in the front yard and breaks a nearby window — as well as a valuable ornament sitting on that window ledge — an umbrella insurance policy provides additional liability protection of your assets and property.

Charges of Defamation

If you’re an active blogger, reviewer, or contributor to a web publication, you might consider an umbrella insurance policy that covers slander (spoken defamation) and libel (written defamation). An umbrella policy may protect you from financial ruin if you’re facing a libel lawsuit stemming from negative statements made on your social media, personal blogs, or review sites.

Do You Need Umbrella Insurance?

Ultimately, umbrella insurance can provide a valuable layer of protection, helping you safeguard your finances. As with any type of insurance, it’s important to carefully consider your lifestyle and associated risks before deciding whether or not umbrella insurance coverage is necessary for you. Learn more about how to evaluate your insurance needs.