Skip to navigationSkip to main contentADVERTISEMENTSome offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.CCameron HuddlestonAshley Kilroy · Contributing WriterWed, August 5, 2026 at 6:19 PM GMT+2 10 min readAccidents can happen anywhere and at any time. Someone could slip on ice on your front walkway and break several bones. Or perhaps your tires lose traction on a rainy day, causing you to rear-end the vehicle in front of you, totaling the car, and injuring the other driver. Your home or auto insurance can help cover the costs of accidents like these if you're found liable. However, if the damages exceed your policy's liability limits, you could be responsible for paying the remaining costs out of pocket. "That's where an umbrella policy would come into place," said Kim Bowser, vice president of national product and experience development at Grange Insurance. "Your auto or home insurance would typically cover the loss first. Umbrella kicks in as an extra layer on top of that coverage protection."Umbrella insurance is a safety net protecting you from financial disaster. It pays to know what an umbrella policy is, how it works, and what it covers.Learn more: How does car insurance work? The basics explained.What is an umbrella policy?An umbrella policy is a type of insurance that provides additional liability coverage once you exceed the liability limits on your home, auto, or other qualifying insurance policies. It's designed to help protect your savings, investments, future income, or other assets if you're liable for a large claim or court judgment. Standard homeowners and auto insurance policies typically provide liability coverage for expenses such as medical bills, property damage, legal fees, and settlements if you're responsible for damaging someone's property or injuring someone, but only up to your policy's liability limits. A serious accident or lawsuit could quickly exhaust those limits. For example, you could be sued for damages related to a multi-vehicle car accident involving several injuries.Learn more: