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I spent some time looking into concealed carry insurance and thought I'd share my conclusions with the community. I would love any corrections if I've misunderstood these companies' offerings.
I'm not going to get into whether this insurance is a good or bad idea. You will have to decide that for yourself. If you do decide to go down this route, the info below may help you sort out the options.
This is my opinion - usual disclaimers, do your own research, etc. Important to note that in NY, NJ, and WA, this insurance is not available.
The things to consider are criminal defense, civil defense, civil liability, and bail. I also like "out of work" coverage and firearm retrieval service (as the police can sometimes make getting your gun back a lot of red tape, even if you're acquitted). Being able to choose your own lawyer is also nice. One company offers counseling sessions which is a nice bonus. You also want insurance that travels with you and covers you inside and outside the home.
I consider civil liability protection vital. I was once sued by a woman who claims she tripped on our driveway when she was trick-or-treating at our house (the lawsuit came a year later) and needed $50K because spraining a finger had put her out of work for months. I ended up being deposed, going to arbitration, etc. We won (she got nothing) and our homeowner's insurance covered all fees, but without this coverage we would have shelled out thousands in defense plus a judgement if we lost. I can only imagine what a self-defense civil lawsuit would entail.
I did not consider spousal add-ons (my wife won't touch a firearm) so you'll have to factor that in yourself.
USCCA - very comprehensive and I think the best choice. $2m liability, $250K defense, $50K bail bond, $750/day out of work, and your choice of attorney. The only gap is firearm retrieval coverage. The difference between Gold/Platinum/Elite is just access to more training videos and such - I didn't see anything worth paying for Platinum or Elite but your mileage may vary. $299/year for Gold.
CCWSafe - also a good choice, but potentially more expensive. You cannot select your own attorney. They offer counseling sessions as a benefit, which is nice. $250/day out of work coverage. Attorney fees are unlimited, but you need to add $220/year to liability coverage, so it's $429/year for their base package. The higher tier adds more counseling sessions and slightly better lost wages ($350/day) - with liability added you're over $700/year for that. Their web site is not the best - for example, I'm assuming you can add civil liability protection to the ultimate package because it isn't actually stated. Biggest draw is unlimited attorney fees...you have to decide (how? no idea) if $250K from USCCA is enough or if you need unlimited. They do pay upfront and do offer firearm retrieval coverage.
Lockton Affinity - GunBroker sent me an ad for this. Very simple plan, which covers hunting/AD/lost firearm/self-defense all in one plan. There are four tiers and each has an overall limit with a defense fees sublimit. They range from $250K combined criminal/civil with a $50K defense sublimit for $75/year all the way to $1.5m combined/$250K defense for $265K. I believe LA underwrote NRA's CarryGuard when it existed. No bail, no lost wages, no firearm retrieval, etc. Bare bones coverage but more affordable.
Companies I do not recommend:
Second Call Defense - I do not recommend because I feel their advertising is deceptive. They offer "civil suit defense protection up to $1 million" which makes you think if you're successfully sued, you have $1m in coverage. Not true. You have $250K in coverage for "civil suit damages protection" and the $1m is attorneys fees, which is silly. Deceptive marketing in my opinion. You also have to pay for their highest tier (ultimate, $399 annual) to get criminal defense coverage of $100K, which may be too low. The lower tiers are as low as $25K coverage. Not a good option.
US Law Shield - $131.40 year or $10.95/mo, but you have to add-on various coverages for multi-state, bail bond, etc. Oddly, bail bond is not available in Oregon. Pays all attorneys fees but there is no option for civil liability protection. Pass.
Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network - just an attorney referral service with no insurance coverage.
I'm not going to get into whether this insurance is a good or bad idea. You will have to decide that for yourself. If you do decide to go down this route, the info below may help you sort out the options.
This is my opinion - usual disclaimers, do your own research, etc. Important to note that in NY, NJ, and WA, this insurance is not available.
The things to consider are criminal defense, civil defense, civil liability, and bail. I also like "out of work" coverage and firearm retrieval service (as the police can sometimes make getting your gun back a lot of red tape, even if you're acquitted). Being able to choose your own lawyer is also nice. One company offers counseling sessions which is a nice bonus. You also want insurance that travels with you and covers you inside and outside the home.
I consider civil liability protection vital. I was once sued by a woman who claims she tripped on our driveway when she was trick-or-treating at our house (the lawsuit came a year later) and needed $50K because spraining a finger had put her out of work for months. I ended up being deposed, going to arbitration, etc. We won (she got nothing) and our homeowner's insurance covered all fees, but without this coverage we would have shelled out thousands in defense plus a judgement if we lost. I can only imagine what a self-defense civil lawsuit would entail.
I did not consider spousal add-ons (my wife won't touch a firearm) so you'll have to factor that in yourself.
USCCA - very comprehensive and I think the best choice. $2m liability, $250K defense, $50K bail bond, $750/day out of work, and your choice of attorney. The only gap is firearm retrieval coverage. The difference between Gold/Platinum/Elite is just access to more training videos and such - I didn't see anything worth paying for Platinum or Elite but your mileage may vary. $299/year for Gold.
CCWSafe - also a good choice, but potentially more expensive. You cannot select your own attorney. They offer counseling sessions as a benefit, which is nice. $250/day out of work coverage. Attorney fees are unlimited, but you need to add $220/year to liability coverage, so it's $429/year for their base package. The higher tier adds more counseling sessions and slightly better lost wages ($350/day) - with liability added you're over $700/year for that. Their web site is not the best - for example, I'm assuming you can add civil liability protection to the ultimate package because it isn't actually stated. Biggest draw is unlimited attorney fees...you have to decide (how? no idea) if $250K from USCCA is enough or if you need unlimited. They do pay upfront and do offer firearm retrieval coverage.
Lockton Affinity - GunBroker sent me an ad for this. Very simple plan, which covers hunting/AD/lost firearm/self-defense all in one plan. There are four tiers and each has an overall limit with a defense fees sublimit. They range from $250K combined criminal/civil with a $50K defense sublimit for $75/year all the way to $1.5m combined/$250K defense for $265K. I believe LA underwrote NRA's CarryGuard when it existed. No bail, no lost wages, no firearm retrieval, etc. Bare bones coverage but more affordable.
Companies I do not recommend:
Second Call Defense - I do not recommend because I feel their advertising is deceptive. They offer "civil suit defense protection up to $1 million" which makes you think if you're successfully sued, you have $1m in coverage. Not true. You have $250K in coverage for "civil suit damages protection" and the $1m is attorneys fees, which is silly. Deceptive marketing in my opinion. You also have to pay for their highest tier (ultimate, $399 annual) to get criminal defense coverage of $100K, which may be too low. The lower tiers are as low as $25K coverage. Not a good option.
US Law Shield - $131.40 year or $10.95/mo, but you have to add-on various coverages for multi-state, bail bond, etc. Oddly, bail bond is not available in Oregon. Pays all attorneys fees but there is no option for civil liability protection. Pass.
Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network - just an attorney referral service with no insurance coverage.
