Umbrella Insurance
An umbrella policy is the coverage people understand last and need most. It sits above your auto and home liability limits and takes over when a serious claim runs past them — for a premium most households find lower than they expected.
The Gap Umbrella Coverage Actually Fills
Your auto policy might carry $250,000 in bodily injury liability. That sounds like a lot until you consider what a serious multi-vehicle accident costs once medical bills, lost wages, and long-term care enter the picture. When a judgment exceeds your policy limit, the difference comes from you — savings, home equity, and future wages are all reachable.
An umbrella policy adds a layer above those limits, typically starting at $1 million. It applies across your auto, home, and in many cases watercraft and rental property liability at the same time, rather than being tied to one policy.
The people who need it most are often the ones who assume they do not: homeowners with retirement savings, households with teen drivers, anyone who hosts gatherings, owns a dog, or has a pool or trampoline. Assets you have built are exactly what an umbrella is designed to keep.
For a full list of the coverage lines we offer, visit our services page.
What an Umbrella Policy Covers
Farmers-backed umbrella coverage through Bradley Hansen Agency extends liability protection across the policies you already carry.
Excess Auto Liability
Picks up bodily injury and property damage costs after your auto policy limits are exhausted — the most common way an umbrella gets used.
Excess Home Liability
Extends the personal liability portion of your homeowners policy for injuries that happen on your property.
Dog Bite and Animal Liability
Animal-related injury claims are among the most frequent homeowners liability losses and can move well past standard limits.
Watercraft and Recreational Liability
Coverage that follows you onto Prior Lake, Lake Minnetonka, and the rest of the boats, ATVs, and snowmobiles Minnesota households use.
Libel, Slander, and Personal Injury
Umbrella policies typically cover certain personal-injury claims — defamation among them — that underlying policies exclude entirely.
Legal Defense Costs
Defense costs are generally paid in addition to your limit, which matters because litigation is expensive even when you ultimately prevail.
Most umbrella policies cost less per month than a streaming bundle. Worth knowing your number.
How Much Umbrella Coverage Makes Sense
The usual starting point is to add up what you would have to protect in a judgment: home equity, retirement and investment accounts, savings, and a realistic view of future earnings. Coverage at least equal to that total is the general guidance, and $1 million is where most Minnesota households start.
Carriers require you to carry certain underlying limits on auto and home before an umbrella will sit above them — commonly 250/500 on auto. If your current limits fall short, raising them is part of the same conversation, and it is often less expensive than people expect.
Households with teen drivers see the sharpest change in exposure. A new driver raises both the likelihood of an at-fault accident and the potential severity, which is why an umbrella review usually belongs in the same appointment as adding them to the policy.
A Straight Answer on Whether You Need One
Umbrella coverage is easy to oversell and easy to skip entirely. Bradley works through what you actually have at risk and what your current limits do, then tells you plainly whether the policy earns its premium in your situation. For some households it clearly does not.
As a Farmers PRIME-designated agency, Bradley Hansen Agency has earned 175+ five-star reviews from local clients who value that kind of direct conversation over a sales pitch.
Umbrella Insurance Questions Worth Asking
How much does umbrella insurance actually cost in Minnesota?
For most households a $1 million policy runs a few hundred dollars a year, and additional millions cost progressively less. The exact figure depends on how many vehicles and drivers you have, whether you own rental property or watercraft, and your claims history. It is one of the least expensive coverages per dollar of protection.
Do I need umbrella coverage if I do not consider myself wealthy?
Assets are only part of it. A judgment can also reach future wages through garnishment, which means a serious at-fault accident can follow you for years regardless of your current net worth. If you own a home, have any retirement savings, or expect to earn income for another decade or more, there is something to protect.
Does an umbrella policy cover my business too?
A personal umbrella does not cover business activities — that requires commercial umbrella or excess liability written over your business policies. If you run a company or have a home-based business, those are separate conversations, and Bradley can look at both sides together.
What underlying limits do I need before I can add an umbrella?
Carriers set minimums on the policies underneath, commonly 250/500 bodily injury on auto and $300,000 on homeowners liability. If you are below those, raising the underlying limits is required first — and that increase is usually modest relative to the protection it adds.
Does umbrella coverage apply if I am sued over something I posted online?
Often yes. Personal injury coverage in most umbrella policies includes libel and slander claims, which standard auto and home policies generally exclude. It is one of the less obvious reasons the coverage exists, and worth confirming against the specific policy language.
Find Out What an Umbrella Would Cost You
Bradley can price a policy alongside a review of your current auto and home limits, so you see the real number rather than an estimate.