What Is Umbrella Insurance?
Personal umbrella insurance, also known as personal excess liability insurance, is additional insurance on top of your other policies. You might wonder why you need that. Think about it like this — your home and auto policies have limits and only pay out so much per incident. If you are liable when someone suffers significant injuries on your property or in a bad car accident, those limits could run out. Without the extra safety net of umbrella insurance, you could be risking your personal assets and perhaps even your life savings.
What Does Umbrella Insurance Cover?
Westfield’s personal umbrella insurance generally provides additional liability coverage for:
Bodily injuries
Property damage
Defense Coverage
Who Is Covered Under a Personal Umbrella Policy?
Our personal umbrella policy extends beyond the policyholder to include family members within your household, ensuring that everyone you care about is protected. Generally, Westfield’s umbrella insurance provides coverage for:
- The policyholder and their spouse
- Any person named on the policy declarations
- Any relative or dependent living with the policyholder
What Does Umbrella Insurance Not Cover?
Personal umbrella insurance can do a lot for you, but it can’t do everything. There are some things umbrella insurance doesn’t cover like injuries or property damage resulting from intentional or criminal acts and liability you assume under a contract.
How Does an Umbrella Insurance Policy Work?
Once you’ve reached your personal liability insurance limits, your personal umbrella policy kicks in to help cover the additional damages not covered by your home or auto policy. Let’s look at some examples to help explain when you might benefit from personal excess liability insurance.
- Pool Injury – A policyholder’s son invites a friend over to swim in the family’s in-ground pool. The friend slips while diving into the pool and fractures his neck. Personal umbrella insurance could help cover the incurred medical costs.
- Car Accident – A policyholder’s teen driver thinks he’s in reverse but is actually in drive. As a result, he accidentally drives through a storefront. Personal umbrella insurance could help cover the costs of the damaged property.
- Dog Bite – A visiting relative attempts to retrieve a toy from a policyholder’s new dog. The dog attacks the visitor who sustains an injury that requires multiple reconstructive surgeries. The visitor sues for loss of income and medical expenses. Personal umbrella insurance could help cover the related legal fees and medical costs.
Who Needs Umbrella Insurance?
Umbrella insurance is ideal for someone who wants an added layer of protection for their way of life. If you face situations where your standard home or auto insurance limits could be exceeded, umbrella insurance may be right for you.
With umbrella insurance, you’ll have an extra layer of security that helps safeguard against large liability claims or judgments that could impact your financial stability. But this coverage is about more than just asset protection — it’s about gaining peace of mind and maintaining the lifestyle you value.
Explore More Personal Insurance Coverage Options
Equipment Breakdown Coverage
Identity Theft Coverage
Cyber Security
Service Line
