By Mike Vincent
Wesco Insurance
Sometimes you need an umbrella even on sunny days. Several weekends ago it was a beautiful day- a rare no-wind Saturday in Oklahoma. I was on the golf course with a couple friends of mine soaking up the sun while having a great game- if I may say so myself.
While on the 8th hole I hit the ball so hard I heard it cry a little as it flew into the air.
Unfortunately it didn’t go in the direction I intended and it hit another golfer in the head. I could tell by the way he fell down this wasn’t going to be pretty.
I got there shortly before the medic did and the ambulance took him to the hospital. I heard someone say the unfortunate fellow is a well-known surgeon in Oklahoma City. I obviously felt horrible. However, I felt even worse the next week when I got the notice from his attorney. The well-known surgeon had suffered a seizure and can’t be released to work for at least six months. They are looking for some monetary damages. What was I supposed to do now?
Ok, Ok, if you know me you know this story isn’t true. I’m not a golfer, and this didn’t really happen – but it could- and it has. In today’s litigious environment people get sued for situations like this all the time. What would YOU do if this happened to you? What would you do if your teen driver was texting and driving and caused a fatality accident?
What would you do if the neighbor’s kids were at your house and were severely injured on your trampoline or in your swimming pool? What if your family pooch got spooked and bit the Schwans guy as he was carrying in the corndogs and chicken nuggets? You would obviously feel terrible, but most likely you need a good defense attorney and a good insurance policy.
A standard homeowners insurance policy provides $100,000 in liability coverage. You can easily increase those limits to $300,000 or $500,000 for very minimal cost- generally less than a hundred dollars.
Your auto liability is the same and you can increase limits for a nominal amount.
Additionally, you can purchase a million dollar Umbrella policy, and covers costs that exceed the underlying home and auto liability.
These are generally a few hundred dollars per year as well. How much insurance do you need? It’s impossible to say because we don’t know how much you’ll be sued for. But an ounce of prevention in form of additional liability insurance can help protect you from financial ruin. Call your insurance agent today and discuss increasing your liability limits.
If you have further questions you can always call me at Wesco.
Mike Vincent is co-owner of Wesco Insurance Agency.
