Excess Liability Insurance Coverage - Get Online Quotes | Insureon (2024)

Excess Liability Insurance

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Excess liability insurance provides additional coverage limits in excess of your underlying liability policy.

What does excess liability insurance cover?

An excess liability insurance policy, also known as excess liability coverage, offers financial protection and higher policy limits if a claim is made that exceeds the limit of an underlying liability policy. It’s similar to having an additional insurance policy on top of your existing coverage.

For example, if you had $2 million in general liability insurance and faced a $2.75 million claim, you and your business would have to cover the $750,000 that exceeds your general liability limits.

If you had an excess liability policy of, say $1 million or more, on top of your general liability insurance, your excess liability coverage would cover that $750,000 loss with higher limits that keep you financially protected.

Many small business owners use excess liability insurance as a cost-effective way to increase the limits on their underlying coverage, for any claims that might exceed their primary insurance coverage. It's often used to boost coverage on general liability insurance or , also called professional liability insurance.

How much does excess liability insurance cost?

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This policy costs about $480 in annual premiums for each $1 million of additional coverage. Several factors affect excess liability insurance costs, including:

  • Coverage limits
  • Location
  • Number of years operating
  • Number of employees

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What other factors impact excess liability costs?

The cost of excess liability insurance can also depend on your industry and any inherent risks associated with that industry.

For example, someone who works in construction or manufacturing is likely to face more liability claims and pay higher premiums for excess liability coverage, compared to someone who does consulting work out of their own home.

Who needs excess liability insurance?

Excess liability insurance protects your business from catastrophic losses and claims that exceed the coverage limits of your liability policy, thereby reducing the chance that a lawsuit could bankrupt your business.

Small business owners usually buy excess liability insurance to fulfill the terms of a lease or client contract.

Some business owners opt for excess liability coverage because they face substantial risks, such as:

  • A high degree of foot traffic
  • The handling or transportation of hazardous materials
  • The personal injury claims that could be leveled against construction, manufacturing, or similar businesses

How does excess liability insurance work?

Your existing liability insurance comes with two kinds of limits: per occurrence and aggregate.

A per-occurrence limit is the maximum amount that your insurer will pay for a single covered loss under your policy. An aggregate limit is the maximum amount that a policy will cover in any one-year period.

For example, say your commercial auto liability coverage has a $500,000 aggregate limit and a per-claim limit of $25,000 for bodily injury and property damage. If a single accident exceeded this $25,000 limit, you and your business would have to cover the additional expense.

If your business exceeded $500,000 in claims over an entire year, your commercial auto policy would still only cover $500,000.

With an excess liability policy, you would be financially protected if any claims exceeded your per-occurrence and aggregate coverage limits.

Keep in mind that an excess liability policy only applies to one underlying policy. To increase liability coverage across multiple policies, look to commercial umbrella insurance.

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What is the difference between excess liability insurance and commercial umbrella insurance?

Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, excess liability and commercial umbrella insurance mean two different things.

Excess liability insurance is an added layer of financial protection for one designated liability insurance policy, such as your general liability insurance. Your excess liability coverage would activate if you face a claim that exceeds your general liability coverage limits.

Umbrella insurance provides additional coverage for several liability policies. Your umbrella policy would kick in whenever you face a claim that exceeds the coverage limits of one of these underlying policies. It's usually applied to general liability insurance, commercial auto insurance, hired and non-owned auto insurance, and employer’s liability insurance (part of workers' compensation).

For example, if a local retail shop has a customer slip and hit their head on a shelf, it could lead to an expensive legal battle. Between the lawyer’s fees and damages, that retail store owner could owe in excess of $2.1 million, but they may only have a general liability insurance policy with a $2 million per-occurrence limit. Their umbrella coverage would help pay for expenses that exceed that policy's limit, in this case covering the additional $100,000 or more owed.

What is excess and surplus lines insurance?

Another type of insurance with a similar name is excess and surplus lines insurance. This type of coverage is sold by non-admitted insurance carriers to insure businesses with higher than normal risks, a large number of claims, or an unknown risk exposure.

These policies do not have the same financial backing as standard insurance policies, but the carriers are allowed greater flexibility in their insurance solutions for businesses. You might also see it called E&S insurance, surplus lines insurance, or excess lines insurance.

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Updated:

May 16, 2024

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Excess Liability Insurance Coverage - Get Online Quotes | Insureon (2024)

FAQs

How much should excess liability insurance cost? ›

Excess liability coverage costs on average $1,000 a year per $1,000,000 in coverage. How much you need depends on the type of business, customers, revenues, and other business specific factors.

What is an example of an excess liability claim? ›

For example, if your general liability insurance limit is $1 million and you're sued for $1.5 million, an excess liability policy would cover the $500,000 that's not covered by your underlying general liability insurance.

How does the excess insurance work? ›

In simple terms, car insurance excess is the amount you agree to pay towards the repair of your car if you need to make an insurance claim. So, if your car's damaged in an accident, there'll be a set amount you'll have to pay towards the repairs and your insurer will cover what's left of the cost.

What is the excess limit for insurance? ›

Excess limit is the highest amount of insurance that will be offered in a given situation in excess of basic limits.

How much does a $1 million umbrella policy cost? ›

Umbrella policies typically start at $1 million in liability coverage. According to an ACE Private Risk Services report noted by Forbes, the average cost a $1 million personal umbrella policy is $383 per year for an individual with one home, two cars, and two drivers.

How much does a $5 million dollar umbrella policy cost? ›

A $5 million umbrella policy costs around $375 to $525 per year, on average. Every policyholder's umbrella insurance premium will vary based on their personal risk factors, so individuals who own more cars or properties will be more expensive to insure, as will people who are particularly likely to be sued.

Why do I need excess liability coverage? ›

For example, if you were to be injured in a car accident and needed expensive surgery, you would be on the hook to pay for any costs beyond what the at-fault driver's own Liability limits would cover. This is where Excess Liability coverage would kick in to help cover those unexpected costs.

What is the deductible on an excess policy? ›

An excess (also known as a deductible) is an amount the policy holder must pay if they proceed with making an insurance claim on their insurance policy. It's the first amount payable by the policy holder in the event of a loss and is referred to as the uninsured portion of the loss.

Who pays the excess on an insurance claim? ›

Do you pay the excess if you aren't at fault? You will need to pay your excess if you're in an accident and you make a claim, even if it wasn't your fault.

How much do you pay for excess? ›

The easiest way to understand excess is through an example. Imagine your car is damaged in a covered accident and needs $3,000 of repairs. If your policy has a $500 excess, then you'll need to pay the $500 excess and your car insurance will cover the remaining $2,500 for the cost of repairs.

Is it worth getting excess protection? ›

When you take out car insurance excess protection you have peace of mind that you won't need to find a lump sum of cash to pay for the excess if you make a claim. You can take advantage of cheaper car insurance premiums, but if you do have an accident, you won't be faced with any big bills.

Is it worth having excess on insurance? ›

Increasing your excess is only really worth doing if you can afford to pay it. Because your insurer won't usually pay out for a claim that costs less than your total excess, it's wise not to push your voluntary excess too high. The point of an insurance policy is that you can claim on it.

What does $5000 excess mean? ›

So, if your car has been damaged in an incident, and the repair bill comes to $5000, you will pay for the first portion of the repair bill with your excess. If your excess is $500, the insurance company will pay for the remaining $4500. This doesn't mean you always have to pay the excess if you have an accident.

What does $1000 excess mean? ›

Let's say your insurance policy's excess is $1,000. If you make a claim and the cost of the repairs is $1,500, then you will first pay your excess and your insurance company will cover the remaining $500.

What does $200 excess mean? ›

For example, if you purchase your policy with a $200 excess and you submit a claim for $600, you are liable for the first $200 and we would reimburse $400. The lower the excess amount you choose, the higher your insurance premium.

How much should a $2 million dollar umbrella policy cost? ›

A $2 million umbrella policy costs around $225 to $375 per year, on average. Every policyholder's umbrella insurance premium will vary based on their personal risk factors, so individuals who own more cars or properties will be more expensive to insure, as will people who are particularly likely to be sued.

How much is a $10 million dollar umbrella policy? ›

The reasonable cost for high limits of coverage makes excess liability coverage the best value in personal insurance. For umbrella policies up to $10 Million in coverage limits, annual premiums generally cost in the range of $220 to $225 per Million, depending on the client's particular underwriting profile.

At what net worth should you have an umbrella policy? ›

Key Takeaways. Umbrella insurance is the defensive part of your wealth-building plan. Anyone with a net worth of $500,000 or more should have umbrella insurance. Your umbrella policy limit should be equal to or greater than your net worth.

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