Simply because you’ve got a pistol you can use and a comfortable rig to carry it in doesn’t mean you’re a prepared armed citizen. You need to consider your concealed carry insurance options.
What You Need To Know About CCW Insurance:
- Concealed Carry Insurance covers two main expenses — retainer for a lawer and trial expenses
- Policies Often Cover More Than Legal Expenses
- They provide expert resources
- Policy costs can vary
- You need to know the law and your policy
Let’s look at five things you need to understand when shopping for concealed carry insurance plans. Like any other topic, knowledge is power.
How Concealed Carry Insurance Works
Most concealed carry insurance plans pay for two parts of your legal expenses. Initially, they’ll pay your attorney’s retainer up front, ensuring you have legal defense from the get-go. Then, most companies pay the balance or a percentage of your attorney fees after your acquittal. Additionally, there’s generally an element that covers your legal defense in a civil suit.
Read Also: 6 Concealed Carry Insurance Options To Protect Your Six
Overall, what’s covered and how much of it is covered varies company to company and plan to plan. Pay attention to CCW insurance policies’ caps and ask yourself, “Will it be enough?” Because once you reach those amounts your plan won’t pay anything further and you’ll be on the hook. This fine print is well-worth studying, keeping in mind a criminal defense lawyer can easily run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars if your case goes to trial.
Policies Often Cover More Than Legal Expenses
Some concealed carry insurance goes beyond legal expenses and covers a number of other aspects you might encounter, including but not limited to:
- Initial Bail Bond
- Crime Scene Clean Up
- Negligent Discharge
- Spouse And Family Self-Defense
- Property Damage
- Firearms Replacement
- Work Loss Coverage
There are quite a few other often under-considered areas concealed carry insurance covers. Some of these fall within the bounds of the initial policy, while others are add-ons and cost extra. Though, having more complete coverage at your disposal is heartening, given how quickly expenses – most of them unexpected – add up.
Arm Yourself With More Concealed Carry Knowledge
They Provide Expert Resources
In addition to pure financial coverage for legal expenses, many concealed carry insurance plans offer a host of other resources.
Initially, most provide you with extensive information concerning armed defense and use of deadly force. Furthermore, the companies usually have regular newsletters, keeping you abreast of changes in self-defense and concealed carry laws across the country. That is important given how legislation – especially in states other than yours – can easily fly under your radar.
In addition to this, CCW insurance companies typically have a host of expert witnesses on retainer for trials or will pay for them. They also maintain a network of criminal defense attorneys and will vet yours if you choose someone outside their system. A boon, given this attorney is likely the most important you’ll ever hire.
Costs Can Vary
Similar to most insurance, the concealed carry variety runs the gamut in cost. It all depends on how much coverage you require and the add-ons you opt to tack on your policy. That said, on the low end, it runs around $11 a month and at the high well over $50. However, most companies charge an annual rate, so expect to spend around $130 and up right off the bat. Yes, this is your cold-hard cash and a policy quickly adds up. But compared to the expense if you go to trial, self-defense insurance is peanuts.
You Need To Know The Law And Your Policy
Gun, self-defense and insurance laws differ from state to state. In turn, you need to know how the three intersect in your particular location. A policy might be legally sold in your state, but have aspects that disqualify certain coverage. In other circumstances, you could travel to another state where the policy is invalid. Not good if you vacation a lot. With this in mind, it’s not only worth your time reading everything a certain policy offers, but also calling the company if you’re unclear on anything that’s in the policy.
Parting Shot
Concealed carry insurance is akin to your self-defense gun; it’s unlikely you’ll ever need it, but if you do, you really need it. Given the weight of the matter, don’t jump into a plan simply because of flashy graphics, big names associated with it and huge promises. Remember, “Large print giveth, small print taketh away.” Be sure you read everything and have all your questions answered before making a final decision. Your life – at least as you know it – depends upon it.
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Perhaps the three most important characteristics of a good self defense insurance program are
(1) Paying your expenses as they come due. Some programs reimburse you after acquittal. The problem with reimbursement is that you have to raise the cost of your defense out of your own pocket. If you can’t raise the money, you won’t have an effective defense. At best, it will badly disrupt your finances.
(2) Paying off no matter what method you use to defend yourself. Some plans only pay for defense with a firearm. What if you defended yourself some other way?
(3) Covering both criminal and civil defense. Unless your state has self defense immunity, the bad guy or his family may sue you for wrongful death or excessive force even though the prosecutor agrees your actions were legal.
It’s critical to read all the fine print before signing up. If you are unsure whether a plan will cover you in a relevant situation, get an answer in writing. One otherwise well regarded program doesn’t cover domestic conflicts. That makes it useless to someone being stalked by a violent ex.
anything is better…far better…than nothing….