Personal Lines
Personal Umbrella Insurance
One lawsuit can cost more than everything you've built. The umbrella is the policy that protects it all.
The Layer of Protection Most Families Don't Have
A personal umbrella policy provides an additional layer of liability coverage that sits above your homeowners and auto insurance. When a serious claim exceeds those underlying limits, the umbrella takes over. Standard homeowners policies carry $100,000 to $300,000 in personal liability. Auto policies carry similar limits. A single serious car accident, a slip-and-fall on your property, or an incident involving a pool or trampoline can generate a judgment that wipes out both.
Jury awards have grown substantially in recent years. What once might have settled for $200,000 now regularly reaches $1 million or more, particularly for claims involving serious bodily injury, permanent disability, or incidents involving minors. A $1 million personal umbrella policy typically costs between $150 and $400 per year, often less than a month of car insurance, and it extends your protection to $1 million above whatever your underlying policies pay.
The umbrella doesn't just protect your existing assets. It protects your future earnings as well. If a judgment exceeds your coverage, a plaintiff can pursue your wages, savings, and income for years. For professionals, business owners, and anyone with a mortgage, investments, or a household to protect, the umbrella isn't optional. It's the most efficient dollar spent in an insurance portfolio.
Key Facts
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Sits above your homeowners and auto liability limits
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Available in $1 million increments of additional coverage
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Requires underlying limits (typically $300K home, $250K/$500K auto)
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Responds to incidents worldwide in most policy forms
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Defense costs are covered in addition to the policy limit
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Relatively low annual cost for the coverage it provides
Excess Bodily Injury (Auto)
When injuries from a car accident exceed your auto liability limits, the umbrella picks up the remaining damages. This is where the most common large claims originate.
Excess Personal Liability (Home)
If someone is seriously injured on your property and the homeowners policy limit is exhausted, the umbrella responds to the remainder up to its limit.
Vacation and Rental Properties
Incidents at a vacation home, beach house, or rental property are typically covered by a personal umbrella, extending your protection beyond your primary residence.
Libel and Slander Claims
If someone sues you for defamation, libel, or slander (including statements made online), a personal umbrella can respond where homeowners policies often won't.
False Arrest or Malicious Prosecution
Personal umbrella policies often include coverage for certain personal injury claims including false arrest, malicious prosecution, and wrongful entry: claims that standard policies typically exclude.
Recreational Vehicle Liability
Liability from boats, ATVs, jet skis, and similar recreational vehicles may be covered depending on the policy form. We'll confirm exactly what your umbrella picks up.
Worldwide Liability
Most personal umbrella forms provide worldwide coverage, meaning you're protected for covered incidents that happen outside the United States as well.
Defense Costs
The umbrella responds to attorney fees, court costs, and legal defense expenses for covered claims, often in addition to the liability limit rather than as part of it.
What's Not Covered
Business Activities and Professional Services
A personal umbrella doesn't cover liability arising from your business operations, professional services, or work-related activities. A commercial umbrella or professional liability policy handles those exposures.
Intentional Acts
Coverage applies to accidents and negligence, not deliberate harm. If a claim arises from an intentional act, no part of the umbrella policy will respond.
Claims from Lapsed Underlying Policies
The umbrella requires your homeowners and auto policies to be in force and at required underlying limits. If those policies lapse or drop below the required limits, the umbrella won't respond to claims that fall in that gap.
Aircraft Ownership Liability
Personal umbrella policies typically exclude liability arising from owning or operating aircraft. Aviation liability requires its own specialty policy.
Criminal Acts
Liability arising from criminal conduct is excluded. The umbrella is designed for accidental harm and negligence, not acts that constitute a crime.
Claims Within Underlying Policy Limits
The umbrella doesn't replace your home and auto coverage; it supplements it. Claims within your homeowners or auto liability limits are paid by those policies first. The umbrella only activates above those limits.
Don't Let One Incident Undo Everything You've Built
A coverage review takes 20 minutes and could reveal that you're one serious claim away from a financial crisis. Let's close that gap.