What is umbrella insurance?

An umbrella policy “sits on top” of an existing liability policy and “kicks in” when the limit of that policy has been reached. The umbrella policy provides an added measure of protection—up to its limit—to coverage like general liability insurance, or commercial auto insurance. For example, if you are required to pay a $125,000 claim but the underlying policy that covers the incident has a $100,000 limit, an umbrella policy can cover the additional $25,000. You must tell your insurance company about your liability policies for the coverage to respond.