Personal Insurance — Michigan
Extra Liability Protection for Life's Unexpected Moments.
A serious accident, a significant injury claim, or an unexpected lawsuit can exceed the liability limits of your auto or homeowners policy. Personal umbrella insurance provides an additional layer of protection above your underlying policies — for situations where the stakes are higher than standard limits can address.
Who This Coverage Is For
Personal umbrella insurance is relevant for Michigan homeowners, families, and individuals who want to evaluate their broader liability protection beyond what their auto and homeowners policies provide. This includes families with teenage drivers, homeowners with pools or trampolines, individuals with significant personal assets to protect, and anyone who wants additional peace of mind against the financial consequences of a serious liability claim. Umbrella coverage generally operates above qualifying underlying policies — typically auto and homeowners — and requires those underlying policies to carry minimum liability limits. Eligibility, terms, and required underlying limits vary by carrier.
Coverage Options to Consider
Additional Personal Liability Limits
Provides liability protection above the limits of your underlying auto and homeowners policies — typically in increments of one million dollars. This additional layer activates when an underlying policy's limits are exhausted by a covered claim.
Eligible Auto Liability Exposures
Extends additional liability protection above your personal auto policy for covered at-fault accidents involving serious injuries or significant property damage claims that exceed your auto liability limits.
Eligible Homeowners Liability Exposures
Extends additional liability protection above your homeowners policy for covered premises liability claims — such as a serious injury on your property — that exceed your homeowners liability limits.
Certain Eligible Watercraft Exposures
Some umbrella policies extend coverage to eligible watercraft liability exposures above an underlying boat or watercraft policy. Eligibility and terms vary by carrier and watercraft type.
Legal Defense Provisions
Many umbrella policies include provisions for legal defense costs associated with covered claims — an important consideration given that defending a serious liability lawsuit can be expensive even when the outcome is favorable.
Why Personal Umbrella Coverage Matters
Serious Accidents Can Exceed Standard Limits Quickly
A car accident that seriously injures multiple people, or a premises liability claim involving a significant injury, can result in damages that exceed the liability limits of a standard auto or homeowners policy. When that happens, the difference between the claim and your policy limits becomes your personal financial responsibility. An umbrella policy addresses this gap for covered claims.
Your Personal Assets Are at Stake
Without adequate liability protection, a judgment in excess of your policy limits can affect your savings, investments, and other personal assets. For Michigan families who have spent years building financial security, a single serious liability claim without adequate coverage can have lasting financial consequences.
Umbrella Coverage Is Relatively Affordable
Given the amount of additional protection it provides, personal umbrella insurance is typically one of the more cost-effective personal insurance products available. A meaningful amount of additional liability coverage can often be added for a relatively modest annual premium — particularly when combined with qualifying underlying auto and homeowners policies.
The Harborstone Approach
We believe personal umbrella insurance should be evaluated in the context of your complete personal insurance picture — your auto coverage, your homeowners coverage, and the assets you want to protect. At Harborstone, our goal is to help Michigan families and individuals understand how umbrella coverage works and whether it makes sense for their situation.
Related Coverage Areas
Let's Find the Right Protection for You.
Your auto and home policies have limits. An umbrella policy picks up where they leave off. Let's see if it makes sense for you.