Food for thought: Consider insurance as protection, too

As this Columbus Dispatch story points out, although insurance isn’t required in the law (and should never be), it’s something to consider as a personal choice.

It’ll cost Ohioans $45 to apply for a concealed-handgun permit, but those looking to take advantage of the new state law could find themselves shelling out hundreds more for extra insurance coverage.

Standard policies don’t cover many of the liabilities gun carriers might face, insurers say, and one of the few that does costs more than $300 a year.

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Those who use a handgun for reasons other than protection against serious harm could face criminal charges under state law. Civil lawsuits also are a possibility, even if a gun owner shoots someone who is breaking the law. For example, because protecting property is not considered self-defense, a gun owner could be sued for shooting a burglar.

Central Ohio insurance agents say they’ve received few if any calls from gun owners wondering about their coverage and liability. Bob Matthews, owner of Matthews Insurance in Gahanna, and Harvey Norman Jr., an Allstate agent in Delaware, reported no inquiries as of yesterday.

Insurers say homeowners policies likely would cover injuries or property damage caused only by accidental gunfire. The policies don’t cover the intentional firing of a weapon, even in selfdefense.

"Any type of intentional act has never been covered," said Mary Bonelli, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Insurance Institute, an industry trade group.

Neither Indiana nor Michigan — two states where conceal-carry laws already are in effect — require permit-holders to carry insurance coverage against injuries or damages caused by carriers of concealed weapons.

The National Rifle Association offers through a Kansas City, Mo., insurer "excess personal-liability coverage" and a self-defense rider that together cost $322 a year for $250,000 in coverage and $212 a year for $100,000 in coverage.

The NRA-endorsed plan — available only to members — isn’t specifically designed for people carrying concealed weapons, said spokeswoman Kelly Hobbs, but the group’s Web site reiterates what insurers also say.

"Most homeowners policies fall far short of adequate protection against liability," it warns.

The self-defense rider, offered by Lockton Risk Services Inc., covers injuries and property damage caused when a gun owner acts in self-defense, covers defense against civil lawsuits and pays for a policyholder’s criminal defense, but only if he or she is acquitted.

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Click here to hear an Ohio Public Radio interview on the subject with Dan Kelso, the president of the Ohio Insurance Institute, via RealAudio streaming.