Personal Umbrella Insurance
A serious accident or lawsuit can easily exceed the liability limits on your home, auto, or boat policy. A personal umbrella adds a layer of protection on top of them, so your savings, home, and future income aren't what's left to pay the difference.
Liability protection above your other policies
Your homeowners, auto, and boat policies each carry their own liability limit. When a covered claim exceeds that limit, your umbrella pays the rest, up to the umbrella's own limit. Umbrella limits typically start at $1 million and are available in higher increments.
A guest is seriously injured at your home, and the court awards $800,000. Your homeowners policy pays up to its $300,000 liability limit. Without an umbrella, you're personally responsible for the remaining $500,000. With a $1 million umbrella, that balance is covered, along with additional defense costs.
What a personal umbrella covers
Who should consider an umbrella
- ✓ Homeowners with added exposures: a pool, trampoline, dog, or frequent guests all increase the chance of a liability claim.
- ✓ Families with teenage drivers: serious auto accidents are among the most common sources of large liability judgments.
- ✓ Boat and watercraft owners: a single accident on the water can involve multiple injured people and damaged vessels.
- ✓ Business owners and professionals: visible income and assets can make you a target in a lawsuit, even when the claim has nothing to do with your business.
- ✓ Rental property owners and volunteers: some umbrellas can extend to rental properties you own and to nonprofit board service. We'll confirm how yours applies.
Personal umbrella vs. commercial umbrella
If you own a business, you likely need both. They protect different things, and neither replaces the other.
| Feature | Personal Umbrella | Commercial Umbrella |
|---|---|---|
| Who it protects | You and your household | Your business |
| Sits above | Home, condo, auto, and boat liability | General liability, commercial auto, employer's liability |
| Business activities | ✗ Excluded | ✓ Covered |
Need business coverage too? See our commercial P&C programs.
What an umbrella doesn't cover
Personal umbrellas generally exclude business activities, professional services, intentional acts, and damage to your own property. Carriers also require you to keep minimum liability limits on your underlying home, auto, and watercraft policies. If those limits fall short, you could be responsible for the gap. We'll check that your underlying policies line up with your umbrella.
Protect what you've worked to build
An umbrella is often one of the most affordable ways to add significant liability protection. Let us show you what it would cost.
Coverage descriptions on this page are general in nature and for educational purposes only. Actual policy language governs all claims. The example above is illustrative only. Umbrella limits, underlying limit requirements, exclusions, and defense cost provisions vary by carrier. All coverages are subject to policy terms, conditions, and underwriting approval.