CCW Insurance: Good or Bad?

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It's been proposed by some politicians that gun owners be forced to get insurance. I believe this is wrong as it already places gun owners as criminals. Also, you shouldn't be forced to get insurance to cover a Constitutional right. Thirdly, insurance companies have already said they can't write policies for such cases.



Well, I just saw a commercial where a supposed CCW carrier pushes insurance. Whether he is really pro-CCW or not, I don't know.


I was just wondering how good of an idea this is. If CCW folks start getting insurance on their own, then the anti-gun politicians can point to this and say, "See, insurance companies can write policies for this and it's the responsible and safe thing to do."




But perhaps people on here do have their own insurance and they believe it's a good idea.




So, voluntarily getting insurance for owning a gun/CCW, good or bad?

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Everyone thought healthcare plans were a good idea too.

Get yourself a general umbrella liability policy on top of your homeowners insurance. Then join legal shield, or at least figure out who your lawyer is.
 
Considering how unlikely you would ever be to use your weapon in self defense (especially if you didn't carry and only had one at home for HD) holding a policy would be a waste of money.

Thirdly, insurance companies have already said they can't write policies for such cases.

I'm not sure how much stock I'd put in this. Maybe one company said that, but by and large insurance companies can write a policy for anything and everything you ask them to.
 
CCW Insurance: Good or Bad?

Odd, I never gave it much thought. Maybe shoot carefully for assurance because I have no insurance?

OK, my wife Kathy and I have two dogs, we have always had 2 or 3 large dogs. I know that God forbid one exits the fenced yard and hurts someone we are covered under our homeowners plan. This gets being sued and loosing for someones 25K in medical bills. I like knowing our butts are covered.

Now let's say God forbid I need to draw my weapon and discharge it. Let's say I fire two rounds. The first strikes my / our assailant and the second clips the bad guy and keeps on going. I always worry about a round fired when I don't know where it went. Let's say by some weird fluke that round injures someone. My worst nightmare just came true. Heck, for that matter I fire a single round which passes through the bad guy and injures someone.

I am not sure how the courts would view this but I see myself as liable if my bullet ends up in someone 1/2 block away. Yeah, I can argue it was the bad guys fault but bad guys never have money or a home. I see our home suddenly on the market, we become destitute and I am urinating in gutters and eating at the homeless shelter.

Insurance? I am betting I'll need it and those selling me it are betting I won't.

I don't see where CCW insurance would be expensive and I sure as heck would consider it. One good law suit against you lost and you are toast. Should it be compulsory? Heck NO! Would I buy it? Heck YES!

Just My Take....
Ron
 
It's good if you need it I suppose. The question really is--what EXACTLY does it cover? So before buying it, you really need to read the policy along with any riders and endorsements. Only when you know precisely what is covered can you assess your own risks and determine if the premium costs are worth it.
 
What would be the risk you were insuring against? Negligent discharge? Or the deliberate misuse of the weapon?

I can see an insurance company writing a policy to cover liability arising from negligence, but I can't see one writing a policy to cover the commission of a crime or other deliberate misuse. After all, the latter scenario is what the lawmakers proposing this mandatory insurance are primarily cocerned about. In reality, this means that they're proposing that gun owners post bonds rather than just buy liability insurance (which would unavailable for the kinds of risks they're thinking about). Posting a bond would be so expensive that it would preclude gun ownership for like 95% of the population.

"Mandatory insurance" is one of the most insidiously clever plans the gun controllers have come up with. It sounds reasonable on the surface, but its effects would be devastating.
 
You cannot insure yourself for indenmity from committing an illegal act. So put that off the list.

Any comprehensive homeowners policy would cover negligent injuries committed by the insured, with a gun or not. As I recall it was either Allstate or State Farm that covered the cost of Bill Clinton's sexual harassment civil suit against one of his many "alledged" mistresses, and it was under the comprehensive homeowners policy they had.


Insurance is a highly regulated industry. I'm not sure where you saw this, but I'd be suspect of anyplace that promised you such "CCW insurance".
 
Bad idea, it gives the impression that you felt you were going to eventually shoot someone and would need protection when the time came. It's like "Beware of Dog" signs. You get in more trouble because you have alerted people that your dog is dangerous.
 
Bad idea, it gives the impression that you felt you were going to eventually shoot someone and would need protection when the time came. It's like "Beware of Dog" signs. You get in more trouble because you have alerted people that your dog is dangerous.
Yes, however, when I get in my truck I don't plan on running into someone, but on the off chance stuff happens it is nice to know I am covered.

So let's say the scenario I mentioned earlier happens. I am a licensed CCW carrier and something goes terribly wrong exactly as I mentioned. I could lose my home and everything I have in a single lawsuit. I haven't a clue if my homeowners covers the liability. Nope, I choose being insured.

Ron
 
gym - that's ridiculous. Otherwise everyone who ever brought an insurance policy - from vehicle, to flood, to fire, to cancer, to even health insurance - could have someone insinuate they bought the policy in anticipation of causing the event that indemnifies the coverage with precognition.

Sometimes that does indeed happen. But those incidents don't implicate the insured, per se, as a person who knowingly bought insurance against the event simply through the act of purchasing it.
 
Let's call it what it is. Someone came up with an idea that can generate a revenue stream and that's okay. It's a product and available for those that choose to purchase it. Any insurance company that offers this has had their actuaries run the numbers and found it to be potentially profitable. Nothing wrong with that, and while I have insurance on my home and cars, I wouldn't be interested.

The problem arises, as it often does, when politics intervene. Any proposal from an elected official to require special insurance for CHL holders is nothing more than another incremental step down the slippery slope to denying gun rights. Next it would be special insurance for anyone owning a gun. Then maybe higher requiring special health insurance for gun owners. What they can't get through direct legislation they pursue through regulation and taxation.
 
The problem arises, as it often does, when politics intervene. Any proposal from an elected official to require special insurance for CHL holders is nothing more than another incremental step down the slippery slope to denying gun rights. Next it would be special insurance for anyone owning a gun. Then maybe higher requiring special health insurance for gun owners. What they can't get through direct legislation they pursue through regulation and taxation.

Ah yes indeed. The State of Ohio issued me a driver's license. Driving is considered a privilege and therefore liability insurance is compulsory. However, my owning and use of a firearm is a constitutional right not to be confused with a privilege, even though I need to pay a price for my CCW license. I like how Ted Nugent views it that the 2nd amendment to the US constitution is his CCW license. The day they make CCW insurance mandatory (compulsory) is the day we see another chip at our rights.

Ron
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I say it's a bad idea sounds like another way to put me on another list and I hate the idea of having to pay to conceal and carry and at what price point I've already paid a lot and I shouldn't be forced to pay more for the right to defend myself :fire:
 
I won't go into vast details but I had a relative(estranged) pull my CCW on me, luckily the sight caught on the holster. We had no problems, he just has substance abuse problems... Although he was charged with assault inflicting bodily harm, (re-injured a previous back injury) I was charged with simple assault for twisting his arm to get my firearm out of his hand.

I have already paid A LOT to my attorney. Just messed up situation... Forgive me but I can't say anything other than that.

Just remember insurance is one of those things that can make or break you...
 
At least in my state, I'm not held liable for anything I do to stop a felonious act upon me.
The only way I would draw is to stop a felonious act.
Anything unjustified act committed with my firearms will be done out of my control, meaning the act would not be covered by insurance on myself.
 
How would it even work? I can see insurance covering you for a negligent act (AD/ND hitting somebody, for example), but not a purposeful act.


Something I could see is having a lawyer on retainer, or at least speed dial, in case of a shooting. Right after a shooting is not a good time to be thumbing through the Yellow Pages.
 
Bad.

Kind of like you are putting up a BEWARE OF DOG sign. Today's lawyers will tie you up by saying you know you had a vicious dog, but you kept it anyway. Getting CCW insurance, whatever that would mean, would, not could, but would be used to say you knew you were doing something inherently risky, but you did it anyway.

Do not pursue further, hell, a slimy lawyer may even be able to dig up to checked into it.

Good Luck.
 
All we need is more required insurance coverage put into law by some politician who doesn't know which end of the barrel is which. First it was auto, now it's health. Gun insurance next?
 
I think a good lawyer on retainer is better than gun insurance. I have insurance on my firearms and wish I had a policy that covered the litigation I am currently going throught(long story) ButI will never think it is a good idea to force coverage for firearm owners.
 
I could see that if insurance could be written at a reasonable premium to cover legal expenses if charged and exonerated in connection with a self defense incident and cover defense costs and indemnity if sued civilly, it could be worthwhile. Legal fees and costs for through a jury trial could easily run $50,000 to $150,000 or more, depending on the situation; and that would just be for the criminal trial.

Some of us have assets accumulated over a lifetime of hard work, and they are worth protecting. For example, I already carry significant liability coverage on my homeowner's and car insurance; and I have an umbrella policy over that. The premiums are reasonable considering what I'm protecting.

I've brought these cases up in the past, but think about these folks who were ultimately found justified but paid an enormous price for that result:

  • Larry Hickey, in gun friendly Arizona: He was arrested, spent 71 days in jail, went through two different trials ending in hung juries, was forced to move from his house, etc., before the DA decided it was a good shoot and dismissed the charges.

  • Mark Abshire in Oklahoma: Despite defending himself against multiple attackers on his own lawn in a fairly gun-friendly state with a "Stand Your Ground" law, he was arrested, went to jail, charged, lost his job and his house, and spent two and a half years in the legal meat-grinder before finally being acquitted.

  • Harold Fish, also in gun friendly Arizona: He was still convicted and sent to prison. He won his appeal, his conviction was overturned, and a new trial was ordered. The DA chose to dismiss the charges rather than retry Mr. Fish.

  • Gerald Ung: He was attacked by several men, and the attack was captured on video. He was nonetheless charged and brought to trial. He was ultimately acquitted.
 
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