I'm seeing some ads that have piqued my interest from a provider called CCW Safe. This is new to me and the second provider I've ever seen offering this kind of coverage.
Curious what others think about the idea of carrying liability insurance specifically for self defense or home defense scenarios and if anyone has any experience with providers out there advertising similar types of liability coverage.

Provided one is completely within the law in a self defense shooting situation one has to be covered for lawsuits filed by the family of the thug.

I'd be very leery of such 'insurance'!

Self-defense insurance (which should not even be a thing) has been discussed several times. Some think it is absolutely necessary. I think some state governments want to make it a requirement (a requirement to purchase something in order to exercise a constitutional right... doesn't seem right to me). Some think it is more of a scheme to make money for the insurance company (like there is an insurance company that is not making money for themselves?). How many justifiable shootings have been successfully defended in court by these insurance companies? How many justifiable shootings end up in court? I have questions, I think most of us have similar questions, solid answers seem to be in short supply.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

All insurance companies are n business to make money. Any insurance is a waste of money - until you need it. Think “wind damage insurance” in a hurricane zone or “flood insurance” in a FEMA flood zone. Am I insurance poor - Yes. How much risk can you accept?

My concern with this type of insurance is that there are many on the left that feel it should be mandatory for anyone that carries a firearm. I personally think all insurance is a racket, but acknowledge you must have health insurance or risk financial ruin. The thought of forcing someone to have "insurance" in order to exercise a constitutionally protected right however doesn't sit well with me. The more common such insurance becomes the closer we'll be to a mandate requiring it.

Once insurance companies have enough people on-board, the politicians will make it mandatory for all gun owners to have it or there will be criminal penalties for those that do not.

Just like magic they have closed the gun confiscation circle for many.

Just look back at what happened with auto insurance, health insurance, homeowner's insurance... Not a forward looking confidence builder when you play into the hands of politicians - many bought and paid for by big insurance.

I believe the small print in the insurance policy will not be in your favor.

"Insurance" companies are the ultimate Ponzi schemes. If you think otherwise, just watch them collapse/bail out when a big hurricane or tornado creates a couple billion dollars' worth of claims.

If the family of a thug who gets shot during a home invasion wants to file a lawsuit against the victim, the victim should immediately countersue for a few million due to "emotional distress" caused by the thug's actions and the failure of the family to prevent it.

People on the left hate companies like CCW Safe. In fact States like New York, New Jersey, and Washington have prohibited companies like this from offering self defense insurance in their state.

Programs like CCW Safe are there to handle your legal bills if you get in a self defense situation, and protect you against civil suits. They also have a staff of lawyers who are experts in defensive force law who will aid any local attorneys who might represent you. If you get in a self defense situation you can call them and they will refer you to a local attorney. They have a hotline for members that is available 24 hours a day.

What they do not do is pay anyone who you might shoot in a legal shooting or a situation where you engage in illegal activities.

If you get into a defensive shooting and need a lawyer, your bills can run into the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars and more.

Do you have that much money laying around?

CCW Safe's least expensive policy is $209 a year.

Well I have had a policy from CCW Safe for years and will continue to do so. Not to worried about suits from the criminals side family but rather an overzealous Attorney General's office operating in the gray trying to achieve some political agenda and make a name for themselves. If I come out justified in the laws eyes my chances are that much better as I committed a denfensible action in a civil suit. I also added an umbrella policy to my homeowners a few years ago. I think the two policies come to about $350.00/year. With normal cost increases it may cost me $8 - 10,000.00 over the next 20 years to be insured. If they cover even half the cost of a $30,000.00 suit, which would be a drop in the proverbial bucket, I may not have to sell my small S&W collection to recoup my loses...

I agree with many of y’all and detest the whole concept of having insurance. However, I have worked very hard to achieve what meager assets I do have and don’t want a healthcare bill, traffic accident, act of god or anything else take away what I have earned and is mine! Dang it!
So, I opt to pay for any type of insurance I can to protect me. It’s kinda like being taxed to keep what you got.

Anyway, I use US Law Shield for my “self defense” firearm insurance. It costs about $150 a year and it covers your butt whether or not your justified or not in using your constitutional right to bear and use firearms.
A lawyer will empty out your checking and savings account, run up all your credit cards, and then leave you free and clear, but poor.
Regardless of guilt or innocence!

I use the Armed Citizen Legal Defense Network, which is not insurance. It's a fund that is used to defend It's members in case of arrest from a good shoot.. Easy to find on Google. The ACLDN will even defend a member from civil suits in some cases. I also like that Mass Ayoob is on the board. I'm not a salesperson for ACLDN just a customer.

I use the Armed Citizen Legal Defense Network, which is not insurance. It's a fund that is used to defend It's members in case of arrest from a good shoot.. Easy to find on Google. The ACLDN will even defend a member from civil suits in some cases. I also like that Mass Ayoob is on the board. I'm not a salesperson for ACLDN just a customer.

I read the fine print on one of the popular CCW insurance policies and although I have no legal training it appeared to me that all it "insured" was your carry license/permit itself. Despite all the fantastic promises in their advertisement, and all very clever phraseology, from what I could tell they were only protecting your carry license.

Read the fine print, or better yet, get someone qualified to read the fine print for you. It would be money well spent.

That is exactly my major concern.

Problem is you can be right and cleared of criminal charges and still be sued (and LOSE) in civil court. The thug” suddenly” becomes the victim (he was just trying to make a living;he had a lousy childhood, etc) but he was a Good boy. Yea right, that’s why he broke into YOUR house��

Here in Florida if a home invader (armed or otherwise) is shot inside a residence (including a hotel room), the irrebuttable legal presumption that the intruder intended to do grievous bodily harm is on the side of the resident who can neither be charged with a crime or sued by the intruder or his surviving family members.

The same applies to carjackers when you're in your vehicle.

In stand your ground or other self defense shootings, outside of the home or vehicle, if the shooting has been determined to have been legally "a good shoot" in which the use lethal force was justified , the thug or his surviving family is not able to successfully sue for damages.

Of course laws vary by state.

It should be that way everywhere.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

But what happens to you in the not unheard of event that the self defense shooting case goes to trial due to some legal grey area, technicality, overzealous prosecutor, and your otherwise "good shoot" puts you in front of a judge and possibly biased jury, and you are correctly or incorrectly found guilty, and you need to appeal?

That's when your legal costs explode and you're not covered by most, if not all of the CCW insurance policies.

Being covered just for "good shoots" is analogous to purchasing automobile insurance that only indemnifies you against damages incurred by yourself or others in instances where you're not held to be at fault and legally responsible.

Or buying health insurance that only pays for your medical expenses for doctors' visits in which, after you're examined, your physician declares you to be healthy and not in need of any further treatment.

If more folks understood the limits of this sort of insurance very little of it would be sold.

I’ll stick with CCW SAFE. I realize I probably will never need it. I hope I am never involved in a shooting. But, what if……….

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Two Handguns every day

This is my understanding as well. That is why it is important that the DA acquits you and where the legal and financial support comes in from the insurance in fighting that case if one is brought against you. This makes it an uphill battle for the complainant in a civil suit if "I" understand how the system works but an attorney I am not.

I had CCW Safe the past two years, on the defender plan, not the ultimate. Whether it is worth it or not depends on your risk-assessment, budget, and opinions on the terms of the "insurance".

CCW Safe at least admits they are not technically insurance, but rather a legal defense fund. You should take the hour or so it takes to read through all the fine print. I will admit there was stuff in there that made me slightly leery, but after thinking about it, the 209$ was not too much for me at the time (before daycare).

First, lets talk about some of the red flags I found in reading their terms.

1. If you have to defend yourself against someone you invited into your home (not a contractor) then you are NOT COVERED. Now, while we do not ever anticipate having to defend ourselves against a guest, situations have happened where people have a guest for whatever reason who becomes a threat that must be addressed (whether that is too much alcohol, a heated argument turned physical, etc...) just realize you are NOT COVERED even if you are justified in your defense if the person you are defending against was invited to your home.

2. CCW Safe is a legal defense fund, not a get out of a bad decision card. You MUST be keenly aware of ALL state and local laws, CCW Safe WILL NOT COVER YOU if you do not strictly abide by them. Certain states may require you to attempt to retreat, others are stand your ground states. Take a few hours, even a few weeks to review these laws and watch as many educational videos as you can. Learn how to handle yourself legally where you live AND OR where you intend to travel armed.

3. Depending on the plan you choose, there may be ZERO civil liability coverage. My plan covered criminal and civil court costs (among other things) however, only their Ultimate plan covers you for any civil damages you may incur after the trial. Meaning in my plan I could (in theory) be acquitted of criminal charges, while a jury may deem that you are still on the hook for civil damages. This coverage is not something I felt was worth the extra 330$, as I am more worried about other priorities. You may have deeper pockets and different priorities, though.

4. My plan (Defender Plan) covered your spouse, and children inside of the home for legal defensive firearms use, but not outside of it. The Ultimate plan covers them at least partially outside of the home (Check the exact terms, as I have not read them in a few years). This was not a priority for me as my wife will never touch a gun. My kids may someday, but they will not be able to carry outside of the home until they are 21, so the home coverage for them was more than enough for my needs. Your needs may differ, something to consider if your wife carries. I have taken the liberty of posting a link to a review from PewPew Tactical who did a good job comparing the plans and reviewing the service.

CCW Safe Review: The Best? - Pew Pew Tactical

You will find that some are dismissive of the services provided, others swear by them. I am not going to pretend like I am absolutely certain it was worth it to spend 420$ over the past two years for their services I never needed. Anyone who tells you that their services are required is either: A. Lying B. Paid by them C. Deluding themselves D. All of the above.

For what it is worth, after writing all of this, I cancelled my membership. I just felt it was burning 210 dollars for a perception of security that was not actually real. Instead, I have opted to learn more about situational awareness. Most of us can get by with good situational awareness and self-discipline. If there is a mass shooter you have to stop, people will likely be so overwhelmingly on your side (i.e. Elijah Dickens in Indiana) that their coverage will not be required anyways.

That is not quite true in FL. Immunity has to be requested and granted by a judge, as the guy who defended himself with a knife in a barfight, was acquitted based on lawful self defense, but was denied immunity. It is not automatic as many believe.

I'd like to see a case in which the use of deadly force with a firearm was ruled to be legitimate either in discovery or by trial, and in which the crime victim was successfully sued for civil damages by a criminal assailant or his family as a result.

In Florida, individuals shot while they are engaging in forceable felonies can not sue successfully under the Florida State Statutes.

Defending oneself with a knife while engaging in "a barfight" isn't analogous to defending oneself or others against a forceable felony in progress.

I'll say I have nothing against someone that decides to use one of these services, I just think that the more common place they are, the more likely democrats will try to mandate them. I carry daily, but in all honesty the likelihood that I'll ever need to use a firearm defensively is very, very, very low. I am in a place financially where I could cover the legal fees as well - should the need ever arise. And like most "insurance"... I have no doubt that if you ever actually need to use it, the policy won't cover everything you think/hope it will.

My vote is to save your money. If you’re involved in a self defense shooting, you will immediately need the best legal counsel you can find, and it will be approximately $300-400/hr. Dealing with an insurance adjuster/company that has to approve your expenditures is the last thing you need during a crisis. One more thing — be courteous to the police, but don’t talk to them without your lawyer. They are not your friend. Tell them that you understand that is their training as well.

One last thought; having that type of insurance might suggest that you were anticipating a problem. The prosecution could try to paint you as a gun nut looking for trouble.

I would suggest that you might want to check out the ACLDN website if you are interested. I'm not a spokesperson for them, so I don't feel qualified to argue the point. I do need to say that the two words "good shoot " were mine.

I do want to repeat that ACLDN is not insurance and they don't market themselves that way. They are customer service oriented and probably would be happy to answer your question.

The Democrats are not going to mandate these programs because they HATE them as evidenced in NY State, Washington State, and one other state where they have banned them.

These programs do not reimburse the person or people shot or provide a payout to them, but rather help pay for the legal defense of the person who shot them in self defense.

This topic comes up on every gun forum I belong to at least every couple of months . In every case the least informed become the loudest mouths and give advice of which they have no real knowledge much less experience . MY advice is to be wary of anything you read here . Do your own research .

The signal to noise ratio is high indeed.

I have CCW Safe. The Defender plan plus Civil Liability for $35 per month.
Spent a year doing research on all the companies and that’s what I got.
As mentioned above,it depends on the laws governing self defense in the state you live in and your comfort level. A criminal trial will run over $200,000 with bond, attorney, expert witnesses, investigators etc..
I’ve worked too hard to lose everything if it ever happened that I got into a self defense shooting that required legal action or a self defense shooting period. That would be my worst nightmare.
I just sleep better knowing I have it, like car insurence, home owners insurence, health insurence ect.. JMO

My wife and myself have been CCW Safe members for the past 8 years. The cost is minimal compared to trying to hire a lawyer on a moments notice from the Yellow Pages. We watch their educational videos and have learned a lot. Having their membership card with a 24/7 phone number is reassuring every time we leave the house.

If you carry and end up in a shooting who are you going to call when arrested?

Call that number tonight collect and ask to speak with somebody about a question you have . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

That makes no sense….

If I had insurance that would help me if I killed someone in my home, and ended up in court.

Is it possible a jury might think...why does this person have a insurance plan in case he has to shoot someone. Did he plan on shooting someone? Why would he have the insurance if he didn't?

I got a large Personal Liability Umbrella Policy from State Farm for a reasonable amount. I bought this to cover myself from all sorts of things, but there appear to be no exclusions realated to firearms after reviewing the documents. I also have Texas Law Shield.

Well, when you’re in jail, you’ll only be able to make a collect call until you get money on your books, which generally takes a day. I’d make a test run if it were me . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

It's an 800 number...no worries. Just called and got an answer right away.

I’m sure you did. I listen to and track jail calls every day from the two major providers of such things. Can’t call an 800 number from jail without paying the man. Try the non toll free number collect, as I suggested . . .

Edit: And you need to commit that number to memory, because your cell phone will be the second item seized, after your pistol . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .