Insurance what is everyone thoughts on it?

I am in no way for mandatory insurance. However I have recently got myself a handgun case to keep next to my bed and was recently out of state and Concealed Carry and then some new piece of news on Zimmerman came up the media will not leave that poor guy alone.

So it started me thinking I do live in the state of Maryland and Maryland is not know for being Gun friendly what happens if I have to use my Gun in self defense. I could see some of the county's in this state being very aggressive even in cases were it was pretty clear the person was not guilty. I don't know about you guys but I would likely go bankrupt attempting to pay the legal fee's to defend myself. So I started looking at insurance.

Like most people I started with a google search and found a few articles on the topic after reading them I found that Texas has several groups that deal with these type of thing but I couldn't find any that specialize in Maryland. I found a few National ones but they all seem to have lots of places were it looks like they could wiggle out of paying.

After doing a few hours of research I find myself even more confused then when I started then I though to myself. MDshooters seems to have people with a lot of knowledge on a wide range of topics I bet a few of then know Insurance pretty well.

This is what I have found so far.

NRA offers a program but there is very little information given on there website and although I have a lot of trust in the NRA the word "reimbursement" concerns me. Also "when you are acquitted of charges" that could take years before you are acquitted and mean while how do you pay your legal bills.

$165 annually: $100,000 combined single limit with a $50,000 criminal defense reimbursement sub-limit

$254 annually: $250,000 combined single limit with a $50,000 criminal defense reimbursement sub-limit

$400 annually: $500,000 combined single limit with a $100,000 criminal defense reimbursement sub-limit

$600 annually: $1,000,000 combined single limit with a $100,000 criminal defense reimbursement sub-limit

http://www.locktonrisk.com/nrains/defense.htm


Next one I found was USA Concealed Carry. They seem to have a Magazine and there Gold Shield program seems to be pretty good. There rates seem to go from $12 to $27 a month or there discounted yearly rate of $127 to $297. They still use the term reimbursement and it looks like you have to be found not guilty before they pay the bulk of the money but it does looks like they will pay "criminal defense attorney retainer" that you don't have to pay back. Also they will help with a bail bond. Granted it is only around 10K I have been seeing bonds get up to 1 Million being talked about on the on some cases but it should be enough for many people. They also toss in there Magazine as part of the cost.

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/membership/USCCA_index.asp


Next up is Second Call Defense. They look pretty decent from there website. The are under written by Lockton Insurance the same company doing the NRA one but only part of the fee goes to the actual insure the other part of the fee goes to member services that covers things like Bail bonds up to 25k, Attorney Retainer, etc. There coverage seems to be close to US Concealed Carry except there lower cost ones seem to be missing what I consider circuital pieces and there higher end ones have what looks like better coverage but it prices seem to be higher.

The plans range from $8.95 a month to $35.95 a month with no yearly discount option. It seems to be the most expensive of the options I have found but it also seems to be the most complete overall offer.

http://www.secondcalldefense.org/plans-and-pricing

And the final one I found is the one I am least sure about. Armed Citizens Network based on there site it looks like it is a membership only group and doesn't seem to have any insurance underwriter. It includes the basic coverage most of the rest are offering but it seems to be for in group lawyers only and you can only access the Lawyer list as a member. Before I would consider this one I would have to reach out to there and get a lot more info. With that said there prices don't seem to be to bad. They offer 1 Year at $125 all the way up to a 10 year membership at $690 that breaks down to only $69 a year.

http://www.armedcitizensnetwork.org/join

I found several others but they were state specif and didn't cover the state of Maryland.

What is everyone else thoughts on this?

Thanks
Robert

No opinion, but just subscribed to this thread.

Great subject!

I am no insurance expert, but those policies look expensive to me. Think of it this way, the likelihood, in any given year, that your house burns to the ground is considerably higher than the likelihood you will need to shoot a home invader. Compare those policy limits with what your homeowner's insurance costs a year and how much the maximum pay out on it is.

I would also assume that if you are charged criminally no one will pay unless/until you are acquitted or the charges dropped. Criminal behavior is almost always excluded from insurance policies.

One question I'd want to know is whether an "umbrella" liability policy covers the inevitable wrongful death suit from the thug's family in this kind of situation, and if that's a more cost-effective way to insure against that risk. The umbrella liability covers things like people slipping on your walk and backs up the modest liability limits on your car insurance, so if it also covers this stuff it might be a more cost-effective way to go. Maybe somebody who knows a lot more about insurance than I do can speak to that option?

My understanding is that umbrellas will not cover the result of an illegal act. So you're stuck with proving your innocence. I don't know what they'd cover after the fact, anyway.

Sadly, I don't think you can recover the costs of defending yourself from a zealous prosecutor from the government he represents. So even if you win, you're screwed. Meanwhile, it's not uncommon to have your assets seized by the government should you run afoul of the system in some way; and as it's so profitable for said govt to seize your stuff (including bank accounts, of course), they tend to make a real effort to twist things their way.

Hard to believe, I'm sure, here in the (former) USA.

Never had to investigate a self defense situation for homeowners or subsequent umbrella liability coverage, but I would doubt if there is any coverage with either.
Liability policies exclude coverage for intentional acts (with no regard to legal or illegal, charges or not).
Shooting someone in self defense is intentional.

I'm going to just carry my taser.

Kman said:

Never had to investigate a self defense situation for homeowners or subsequent umbrella liability coverage, but I would doubt if there is any coverage with either.
Liability policies exclude coverage for intentional acts (with no regard to legal or illegal, charges or not).
Shooting someone in self defense is intentional.

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According to something I have read. About 20% of umbrella liability will cover you and 80% won't but if you are lucky enough to be in that 20% they wouldn't pay until after the fact.

Thanks
Robert

Huh? If you are worried about some s.o.b. suing because you shot him, you evidently need more range time.

I doubt if those totals would even begin to touch a lawsuit.........and the rates look high. Chances are you are going to be bankrupt anyways.

Welcome to insurance poor America.

Ranger Tom said:

Huh? If you are worried about some s.o.b. suing because you shot him, you evidently need more range time.

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I am not worried about the Guy I shot I am more worried the family of the Guy I shot and the cop's after I have shot the guy. Everyone has a Mother and no mater how bad someone is they are Angles to there Mothers.

I have insurance not to protect my car. I have Car Insurance to help deal with the aftermath of a car accident. Same reason I have Home Insurance. I am looking at options to protect myself in the event I need to use a gun to protect my life.

Thanks
Robert

+1 Armed Citizen's Network

They stand behind their members with serious coin. An instructor from one of my courses told us a story about one of his students who used them and ended up in a shooting. They showed up at his lawyer's office with a check for $50K and said call us when that runs out, we'll send another. On top of that they use Ayoob as an expert witness, he seriously charms judges and juries.

Ranger Tom said:

Huh? If you are worried about some s.o.b. suing because you shot him, you evidently need more range time.

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It's been said, but this is a real problem.

EVERY time I've heard of a "good" shoot or killing in self defense (especially around here, ex - the guy in Guilford who killed the intruder with a sword a few years back) the family of the intruder sues the homeowner for something, so you'll most likely have the cost of a civil suit.

Beyond that, IF there are criminal proceedings against you, you will have to defend yourself in criminal court, which means either you rely on the public defender or you hire your own lawyer, which isn't going to be cheap.

It's a real concern.

Seriously considering the ACN membership, just for a "self defense" case in the case of a home invasion shooting.

Since I'm prevented from carrying in public, the only place I would be in this situation would be at home, realistically.

$125 a year isn't bad for a little more peace of mind.