What Is Umbrella Insurance?

Umbrella insurance (also known as excess liability insurance) is a type of coverage designed to cover potential gaps left by other insurance policies you may already have in place. If you needed to pay for expenses relating to claims that exceeded the coverage provided by existing insurance, umbrella insurance could help cover those costs.


A good way to think about umbrella insurance is as an extra layer of protection in order to help you avoid financial hardship should a major accident or unexpected event happen. It is like a fail-safe to completely protect your personal savings and assets.


What Umbrella Insurance Covers and How It Works


If you were sued for damages that exceed the liability limits of your car insurance, homeowners insurance or other coverages, an umbrella policy would step in to help you pay what you owe.


While this might sound like something that would never happen, it’s more common than you might think.

You might have heard of Georgia’s infamous 2014 Snowmageddon event, where forecasts that called for unusually significant snowfall midweek were largely ignored. When snow began to fall fast and thick around lunchtime, there was a mass exodus of folks trying to commute home from work and school. Combine Atlanta’s existing traffic and congestion problems with untreated roads, bad winter weather and residents with no experience navigating such conditions, and it quickly turned chaotic on the roads.


Now, imagine you were one of those drivers that day. As you tried to get home, your car spun out of control on a snowy hill. You totaled the car next to you — and even worse, several people were badly injured.


The totaled car cost $80,000 to replace. Treatment of injuries cost a combined $800,000. In this situation, you would be responsible for $880,000 in damages … and you carry $300,000 in liability coverage through your car insurance.


The remaining $580,000 would have to come out of your pocket. That’s a major hit — and a good reason to think carefully about purchasing umbrella coverage, which in this case would have stepped in and paid what your car insurance did not cover.


Umbrella Insurance Costs


Coverage limits on umbrella policies typically start at $1 million, and in most cases, go as high as $5 million. Policies can cost between $150 to $400 per year.

Keep in mind that your umbrella insurance may only cover a claim if you maintain the minimum coverage amounts required by your home and auto.


Call or e-mail us today to review your coverages - We're here for you!


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Pennsylvania's Distracted Driving Law Effective June 5, 2026, the penalty is a summary offense with a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees. Pennsylvania’s hands-free law may be referred to as Paul Miller’s Law. Paul Miller was killed in 2010 when a distracted driver crossed a center grass divider and traveled head-on into Paul’s car. If a driver is convicted of homicide by vehicle and driving while distracted, they may be sentenced up to an additional five years in prison. As a primary offense, drivers can be stopped by police if they have a mobile device in their hand while driving.  The law: Defines an interactive mobile device as a handheld wireless telephone, personal digital assistant, smart phone, portable or mobile computer, or similar device which can be used for voice communication, texting, emailing, browsing the Internet, instant messaging, playing games, taking or transmitting images, recording or broadcasting videos, creating or sharing social media or otherwise sending or receiving electronic data. Defines driving as operating a motor vehicle on a highway, including anytime the motor vehicle is temporarily stationary because of traffic, a traffic control device (e.g., a traffic light or stop sign), or other momentary delay. Defines the use of an interactive mobile device as using at least one hand to hold, or supporting with another part of the body, an interactive mobile device, dialing or answering an interactive mobile device by pressing more than a single button, or reaching for an interactive mobile device that requires a driver to maneuver so that the driver is no longer in a seated driving position, restrained by a seat belt. A driver may use an interactive mobile device if the driver moves the vehicle to the side of or off a highway and halts in a location where the vehicle can safely remain stationary. The hands-free law allows for an emergency use exception if it is necessary to communicate with a law enforcement official or other emergency service to prevent injury to persons or property. Pennsylvania's Texting-While-Driving Ban The law prohibits as a primary offense any driver from using an interactive mobile device to send, read or write a text-based communication while his or her vehicle is in motion. Defines an interactive mobile device as a handheld wireless telephone, personal digital assistant, smart phone, portable or mobile computer or similar device which can be used for voice communication, texting, emailing, browsing the Internet, instant messaging, playing games, taking or transmitting images, recording or broadcasting videos, creating or sharing social media or otherwise sending or receiving electronic data. Defines a text-based communication as a text message, instant message, email or other written communication composed or received on an interactive mobile device. Makes clear that this law supersedes and preempts any local ordinances restricting the use of interactive wireless devices by drivers. " Faces of Distracted Driving " is an online photo series exploring the tragic consequences of texting and cell phone use behind the wheel by sharing the stories of people from across the country who have been injured or lost loved ones in distracted driving crashes. Click here to view "Faces of Distracted Driving." Dtown Insurance agents have many years of experience in auto insurance. Our agents prioritize getting you the right coverage for the best price available. One of the best auto insurance carriers we work is AAA, one of the country’s largest and most reputable insurance carrier in the United States. Call today
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