Definition of "Umbrella Liability"

If your auto and home are insured with the same carrier, you probably can get supplemental liability coverage from your insurer. This is generally a very good and affordable idea, but only if you have underlying wealth that needs to be shielded from lawsuits. By insuring your car and home, it is cost-effective for your insurer to extend bigger-dollar liability coverage to both areas (hence the "umbrella" concept). If, for example, you have 100/300 auto liability ($100,000 liability for each person insured in an accident; $300,000 total liability for the accident) and $100,000 liability on your homeowner's insurance, you can usually extend this to $1 million for a few hundred bucks a year (premiums vary by company and its assessment of your own risk).