The topic of whether or not a concealed carrier should get out an insurance policy to protect themselves in the event of a self-defense shooting is certainly a popular one. And for good reason. While the vast majority of all concealed carriers will likely never use a firearm to defend themselves – the possibility does exist and it is daunting.
As we’ve seen in the news on countless occasions, even if the courts find you innocent of all charges, you could still be liable for civil suits which can bankrupt you. Additionally, there’s time out of work to consult with legal counsel, court dates, and appointments related to the case.
So, in an effort to cut through the haze, we’re looking at a few major concealed carry insurance policies to see how they stack up. For each, we’re going with the middle option – not bare-bones and not platinum. We’ll include links so you can investigate on your own and see if this is an option you want.
USCCA – Gold Plus Plan
- Offers up to $575,000 in protection
- Annual: $247 [link]
- Civil Suit Defense & Damages: $500,000
- Criminal Defense Protection & Instant Attorney Retainer: $75,000
- Bail Bond Fund: $5,000 (Bond Amount – $50,000)
- Compensation While In Court: $350/day
Added Features:
- Critical Response Team
- 24/7/365 Immediate Assistance
- Complete Attorney Coordination
- Local Referral Within 24 Hours
- Psychological Support
- Post-Incident Counseling
NRA Self-Defense Insurance (Lockton Affinity, LLC)
- Offers up to $250,000 combined single limit with a $50,000 criminal defense reimbursement sub-limit
- Annual: $254 [link]
This insurance plan covers all components of civil and criminal defense but does not cover little added bonuses like daily compensation or specific mention of bond funds. Please note that this insurance policy only covers $50,000 in criminal defense reimbursement — so you’ll have to pay the immediate costs upfront.
Opinion: For $254 a year, this plan seems to offer the base requirements to be reimbursed for the overwhelming fees associated with getting an attorney on retainer. After acquiring legal counsel, your insurance plan would likely cap out in reimbursement – leaving you stuck with overwhelming court costs and lost time off work.
Second Call – Defender Plan (Lockton Affinity, LLC)
- Annual: $239 (+$60 spouse) [link]
- Civil Suit Damages Protection: $50,000
- Accidental Shooting Protection: $50,000
- Criminal Defense Protection: $50,000*
The member’s insurance policy reimburses the Second Amendment foundation upon a not guilty verdict or similar outcome with no criminal charges being made.
Added Features:
- Immediate Cash For Bond: $5,000 for bonds up to $50,000
- 24/7 Emergency Legal Hotline
- Personal Crisis Manager
- Nationwide Attorney Network Access
- Local Attorney Referral within 24 hours
- Emergency Contact Notification
- Expert Witness Coordination
- Gun Retrieval or Replacement
- Psychological Support – 10 sessions
- On-Site Assistance
Opinion: Second Call is offered through the same insurance underwriters as the NRA Self-Defense Insurance. This means they’re arguable offering the exact same coverage with some added bonuses. $50,000 goes quick in both civil and criminal cases. It’s like getting a $5,000 deductible off your car’s collision auto insurance. More importantly, it really won’t save you in a criminal case or a civil case where real wrongdoing is being alleged.
CCW Safe – Individual Plan
- Annual: $99 [link]
- Covers a single person for any criminal, civil or administrative legal action stemming from a self defense incident. Attorneys, Investigators and Expert witnesses are covered. Member does not have to payback any fees.
- Covers all uses of deadly force, not just firearms.
- No Caps, No Limits, Includes Retrials and Appeals. Member will never pay out of pocket for services.
- Covers member in any state that their permit(s) or license(s) are honored.
- Includes Bail Bond coverage up to $250,000 bonds at no additional cost.
Overall opinion: CCW Safe is making a bet (common in insurance) that not a single one of their clients will ever actually need to call upon this insurance. So far, overwhelming statistics are in their favor. That said, this plan seems to promise a heck of a lot of coverage for cheap – which seems to indicate it’s never been tried in actual practice.
In conclusion, self-defense insurance will likely mitigate some of the costs of actually defending yourself in a criminal and civil court case but the devil is always in the details. Make sure you read what each plan will cover. There are likely other concealed carry insurance plans out there (or labelled self-defense plans) but statistically they’ve almost never been called upon to be actually applied in a recent relevant court case.
Is it worth it? Ultimately, you’ll be the judge of that.