An extra layer of protection when you need it.
Umbrella insurance to suit your lifestyle.
Smart Choice Partners is an independent insurance agency serving Florida’s East Coast, including Boca Raton, Jensen Beach, and Daytona Beach.
A personal umbrella policy adds an extra layer of liability coverage — typically $1 million or more — above your home and auto policies. If you’re found liable in a major accident or lawsuit, your auto or homeowners policy pays first, and the umbrella policy pays next, protecting your home equity, savings, and future earnings. It’s one of the most affordable types of coverage per dollar of protection — and in Florida, where the state auto minimums are just $10,000 of PIP and $10,000 of property damage, the gap it fills is larger than in almost any other state.
How does umbrella insurance work?
Your home and auto policies each include liability limits — often $100,000 to $300,000. If a claim exceeds those limits, you pay the rest out of pocket. An umbrella policy sits on top of both: once the underlying policy’s limit is exhausted, the umbrella coverage takes over up to its own limit, typically in $1 million increments. Example: you’re found liable for $750,000 after a serious auto accident, your auto policy covers $250,000, and your umbrella policy covers the remaining $500,000.
What does umbrella insurance cover?
- Bodily injury liability — injuries you, a family member, or your pet cause to someone else.
- Property damage liability — damage you cause to someone else’s property.
- Personal injury liability — claims like libel, slander, and defamation, which home and auto policies often exclude or limit.
- Legal defense costs — attorney fees and court costs for covered claims, which can be substantial even if you ultimately prevail.
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Property Damage Liability
Risk Factor
You can be held responsible if you significantly damage another vehicle and/or property. Do you have enough coverage to protect yourself from the risk?
Solution
Your standard auto policy limit could easily be exhausted if you are found to be at fault. An umbrella or excess liability policy provides an extra layer of protection once your standard liability limits are exhausted. It’s a cost-effective way to ensure the peace of mind you deserve.
Bodily Injury Liability
Risk Factor
It’s easy to get distracted while driving. All it takes is an incoming text message, a fussy baby, or changing the radio station and your eyes are off the road long enough to crash into a pedestrian, bicycle, or another vehicle. As an owner/operator of the vehicle, you may be held financially responsible for any bodily injuries caused as a result of the accident.
Solution
An umbrella or excess liability policy helps extend your coverage to better protect you against these significant costs. It’s the ideal coverage to provide peace of mind, even when the unthinkable happens.
Lawsuits
Risk Factor
You invite guests over for a pool party and one of your guests dives into the shallow end of the pool and is permanently injured. They hire a lawyer to represent them and after a long legal battle, you and your family are left financially responsible for their injuries. Do you have enough money in savings to cover your legal responsibilities as well as the legal defense costs?
Solution
An umbrella or excess liability policy increases your personal liability limits by adding protection over and above your current auto, boat, or homeowners policies - providing real financial value, as well as priceless peace of mind. Excess liability insurance is available either by an endorsement to your homeowners policy or available as separate coverage.
Watercraft Liability
Risk Factor
Accidents can happen to anyone at any time, even those who have been out on the water for years. Personal watercraft insurance is a necessity, but sometimes the limit these policies provide isn't enough.
Solution
Your standard watercraft policy limit could easily be exhausted if you are found to be at fault for property damage or personal injury. An umbrella or excess liability policy can extend those limits, providing you an additional layer of financial protection.
Who should consider an umbrella policy?
- Homeowners — your home equity is usually your largest asset, and it’s exposed in a liability lawsuit.
- Families with teen drivers — young drivers are statistically the highest-risk drivers on the road, and a serious crash can produce a claim far above standard auto limits — especially against Florida’s $10,000 minimums.
- Homes with pools — a pool is one of the most common sources of a serious liability claim in Florida, and a single drowning or diving injury can exceed a standard homeowners limit many times over.
- People with savings, investments, or rental property — anything a court could reach is worth shielding.
- Dog owners, landlords, and frequent hosts — everyday exposures (a bite, a tenant injury, a guest’s accident) are exactly the claims umbrella policies are built for.
- Anyone with a boat, ATV, or recreational vehicle — umbrella coverage typically extends over those policies too, depending on the carrier.
What does umbrella insurance cost?
Umbrella coverage is priced per million dollars of coverage and is generally one of the least expensive policies you can buy relative to the protection it provides. Exact pricing depends on your underlying home and auto limits (carriers usually require minimum underlying limits before an umbrella policy can be issued), your household’s drivers and properties, and your claims history. Because we compare carriers, we can show you the umbrella options alongside your home and auto quotes in a single review.
Umbrella Insurance FAQs
Do I need an umbrella policy if I already have home and auto insurance?
If you own a home, have savings or investments to protect, or have teen drivers, an umbrella policy is worth serious consideration. It adds an extra layer of liability coverage — typically $1 million or more — above your home and auto policies, protecting your assets if you’re found liable in a major accident or lawsuit. It’s one of the most affordable types of coverage per dollar of protection.
How much umbrella coverage should I buy?
A common starting point is $1 million, roughly matching the value of the assets you want to protect. Households with more property, higher incomes, or greater exposure often carry $2 million or more. An agent can walk through your assets and exposures to size it properly.
Does umbrella insurance cover business liability?
No — a personal umbrella policy covers personal liability, not business operations. Businesses need a commercial umbrella policy, which we can quote alongside your business insurance (see our Business Insurance page).
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