Extra Liability Protection When Your Home and Auto Limits Aren't Enough

What Umbrella Insurance Actually Does

One serious accident — a car crash, a guest injured on your property, a dog bite that leads to a lawsuit — can produce damages that exceed what a standard home or auto policy will pay. Umbrella insurance is how households in Lansdale, Colmar, and across Montgomery and Bucks County close that gap before it becomes a problem.

 

An umbrella policy sits above your existing home, auto, renters, or other underlying liability coverage. When a claim exhausts those underlying limits, the umbrella takes over — covering additional damages, legal defense costs, and judgments that would otherwise come out of your personal assets.

 

Umbrella insurance most often covers:

 

  • Serious auto accidents where medical or legal costs exceed your auto liability limits
  • Injuries to guests or visitors on your property
  • Dog bites and pet-related liability claims
  • Incidents involving a pool, trampoline, or other home feature that raises exposure
  • Lawsuits arising from rental properties you own
  • Personal liability claims that follow you away from home

 

Because umbrella coverage depends on underlying policies being in place, it works best when someone reviews the full picture — home, auto, and any other personal lines — together.

Umbrella Insurance Questions We Hear Most Often

One Conversation Covers More Than One Policy

Full Household Liability Review

Umbrella insurance is most valuable when it's reviewed alongside everything else — not purchased in isolation. If you're a homeowner, auto policyholder, rental property owner, or shore property owner in Montgomery County or Bucks County, Ashmead can review your full personal liability picture and help you decide whether an umbrella policy belongs in it.

 

We've served this region for nearly 70 years. That means straightforward advice, carrier access across the market, and a team that knows the coverage landscape in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Ready to Review Your Coverage

Contact Ashmead Insurance today to discuss whether umbrella coverage is right for your household and to ensure all your personal liability policies work together effectively.

How Do You Know If Your Household Needs an Umbrella Policy?

Evaluate Your Household's Liability Exposure

Most families don't think about umbrella coverage until something goes wrong. The better approach is to evaluate your household's real liability exposure before a claim happens.

 

Factors that commonly point toward an umbrella policy include:

 

  • Teen or young adult drivers on your auto policy
  • Owning a home with a pool, trampoline, or other attractive nuisance
  • Dogs, particularly larger breeds with higher bite liability
  • Owning rental or investment property
  • Frequent entertaining or hosting at your home
  • Household income or assets that would be at risk in a judgment
  • Shore or vacation property with additional liability exposure

Coverage Amounts and Affordability

A single umbrella policy — typically available in $1 million increments — can provide meaningful protection relative to its cost. The question isn't usually whether coverage is affordable. It's whether your current limits are adequate given what you have to lose.

Working With an Independent Broker Changes the Conversation

Buying umbrella insurance through a single carrier means your options are limited to what that carrier offers. Working with an independent broker means comparing umbrella policies across multiple carriers and making sure the coverage you add actually coordinates with the home and auto policies already in place.

 

At Ashmead, we've been advising families across Colmar, Lansdale, North Wales, Hatfield, Doylestown, New Hope, and the surrounding Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey region since 1957. When we review umbrella coverage with a client, we look at the whole household — not just the policy being added.

 

That includes reviewing your current home and auto liability limits to confirm they meet umbrella policy requirements, identifying gaps or exposures your existing coverage may not address, and recommending umbrella limits that reflect your actual asset picture.

Comprehensive Coverage Review

Our team reviews your existing home and auto coverage as part of the umbrella insurance conversation to ensure everything coordinates properly and meets your household's actual liability needs.

Local Expertise Across the Region

With nearly 70 years of experience serving Lansdale, Colmar, North Wales, Hatfield, Doylestown, New Hope, and surrounding areas, Ashmead provides straightforward advice and access to carriers across the market.

Why Choose an Independent Broker

An independent broker compares umbrella policies across multiple carriers and ensures your coverage coordinates with your existing home and auto policies. This approach gives you more options and better coordination than working with a single carrier.

Get Started With Umbrella Insurance

Protecting your household's assets starts with understanding your liability exposure and ensuring your coverage is adequate. Ashmead Insurance is ready to help you evaluate your umbrella insurance needs and find the right coverage for your situation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I need umbrella insurance if I already have home and auto insurance?

    Home and auto policies include liability coverage, but those limits can be exhausted by a serious accident or lawsuit. Umbrella insurance provides an additional layer of personal liability protection above those underlying limits. Whether you need it depends on your assets, income, and household risk factors — a review with a broker can help you decide.

  • How much umbrella insurance do I need?

    A common starting point is coverage equal to your net worth, though households with higher income, multiple properties, or greater liability exposure often carry more. Umbrella policies are typically available in $1 million increments. We can help you think through the right amount based on your specific situation.

  • Does umbrella insurance cover lawsuits after an auto accident?

    Yes. If damages from an auto accident exceed your auto liability limits, an umbrella policy can cover the difference — including legal defense costs and any judgment against you. This is one of the most common scenarios where umbrella coverage is called on.

  • Can a local broker help me compare umbrella insurance options near Lansdale PA?

    Yes. As an independent broker, Ashmead works with multiple carriers and can compare personal umbrella insurance options across the market. We also review your existing home and auto coverage as part of that conversation to make sure everything fits together.

  • Does umbrella insurance cover rental or investment properties?

    Umbrella policies can extend liability protection to rental properties in many cases, though the specifics depend on the carrier and how your underlying rental or investment property coverage is structured. If you own rental property, that's an important part of the conversation when we review your umbrella needs.