While the vast majority of us have car insurance, very few of us have Concealed Carry insurance like USCCA.
Yes, there actually is such a thing. Basically, should you ever need to use your firearm in self-defense and rack up hefty legal fees in the courtroom defending yourself, you can use your CCW insurance to cover the cost.
Considering the fact that your legal fees could potentially amount to several hundred thousand dollars (as cases involving firearms are notoriously complex), having insurance to cover that should begin to sound appealing.
What Are Average Legal Fees For Shooting Someone
The average legal fees for shooting someone at min will be around $10K just in court fees and attorney fees for the most righteous of shoots. As we know, nothing is ever that easy. A simple manslaughter defense could run you $75K – $100K. We are not even talking about a civil suit.
Only around a quarter of American citizens have sufficient money set aside in an emergency fund, which means that most of us are even more underprepared for the legal cost of having to defend ourselves in court.
There are a number of different insurance options that are available, and we’ll talk about the CCW insurance offered from USCCA (United States Concealed Carry Association) in this article.
But first, let’s dive into what CCW insurance is exactly and when/how you will need to use it.
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What Exactly Is CCW Insurance?
CCW insurance, to put it simply, is insurance to financially cover the costs of any legal case involving you defending yourself with a gun.
Even if you were completely justified in your actions, you’re going to be in a massive mess in the courtroom. Your legal fees will begin to accrue exponentially.
Your Concealed Carry Weapon insurance will be able to help cover the cost, including with:
- Bail
- Defense
- Lost Wages
Yes, the chances of you ever actually using your CCW insurance are rather low.
Nonetheless, the old but true adage goes that it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
So while you will likely never need your CCW insurance, the very fact that you have it can give you peace of mind.
And should you need it, it will be there to help out with your financially. In other words, should you need to use your Concealed Carry Weapon insurance, it can literally prevent you from falling into bankruptcy.
What To Do After You Shoot Someone in Self Defense?
The moment after you use your firearm for self defense, you must contact the authorities as soon as possible, if they haven’t arrived already.
When they do arrive, place your hands where they can be clearly seen. Lay your firearm down on the ground. Engage the safety on your firearm beforehand if it has a manual safety.
Always obey what the police officers tell you to do. Even if you feel you were justified in the shooting and are innocent, the cops don’t know that (yet). As a result, they will be shouting orders loudly, act aggressive, and treat you as if you are a criminal. Remember, the cops are risking their lives by being on the scene.
You will most likely be handcuffed and taken to the local jail. Do not answer any of their questions and remember you have a right to remain silent. Anything you say can later be used against you.
Once you are allowed to make a phone call, call USCCA. Their number should be on your card. Explain what happened. They will then post your bail and assign a lawyer to take your case.
Should charges be pressed against you, you will go to court and the legal fees will really begin to accrue…and it’s when you’ll really be glad you had the insurance.
What Does the USCCA Concealed Carry Insurance Have To Offer?
USCCA is one of several CCW plans that are currently available. They currently offer three plans at the following prices:
- Gold ($600,000 protection) – $22/month
- Platinum ($,1,150,000 protection) – $30/month
- Elite ($2,250,000 protection) – $47/month
Features and Benefits of a USCCA CCW Plan
For one thing, your plan will cover the lawyer retainer fee from $2,500 up to $100,000, depending on the level of membership that you select.
A major benefit to the USCCA is how it will cover your up front costs, which is something that many CCW plans won’t do as they reimburse you after the court battle. With USCCA, your fees are paid to you on an ongoing basis.
USCCA will also provide you with a self-defense expert witness who can testify for you in court. The defense attorney they provide to you will also be an expert on self-defense laws both nationally and in your state.
Another big advantage to USCCA is that it offers you firearms theft protection in addition to covering your legal fees. The firearm theft protection is currently set up to one million dollars depending on the level that you choose.
Is The USCCA Concealed Carry Insurance Legitimate?
This is a major concern you may have, but the truth is yes, the USCCA is perfectly legitimate. On their website you will find an impressive collection of articles written by expert writers from all over the country. They also produce a magazine that serves as a rival to pretty much any other gun/2nd Amendment/CCW related magazine that’s out there.
Their insurance is given out in the form of the Self Defense Shield. Which is a very comprehensive self-defense shooting protection member benefit and insurance that can be used in all fifty states.
Take note that the Self Defense Shield is NOT a law firm that is only limited to practice in your state. This is good news for you, because it means if you travel and have to use your firearm defensively in another state, USCCA will still protect you no matter what state the incident occurs in.
Is USCCA CCW Insurance Worth It?
Yes. It’s perfectly natural to be totally skeptical of CCW insurance. Not only is it not well known and can seem sketchy, you also may question if it’s worth it even if it is legitimate.
First of all, the USCCA insurance is perfectly legitimate and one of the best CCW insurances on the market. So there’s no debate there.
But the best case scenario is obviously that you’ll never have to use your CCW insurance. This is the most likely scenario as well.
As a result, is it really worth spending $22, $30, or $47 a month on insurance that you almost certainly will never ever need?
Well, only you can decide that for yourself based on your own financial position. USCCA also offers far more than just the insurance. You’ll also get free training for customers, top quality magazines, and be eligible for weekly giveaways.
Also ask yourself this: cost aside, if you do use your firearm defensively, do you want just any attorney the state provides for you or do you want an attorney who is an expert in self-defense laws?
In other words, do you want an expert to defend you in court or don’t you?
If the answer is yes you do, then it’s only another reason to have USCCA insurance because you will be provided with an expert attorney.
Combine that with the fact that most if not all of your legal costs would be covered. Its easy to see how spending that $20 to $50 a month can be very much worth it.
USCCA Concealed Carry Insurance – Conclusion
In short, if you are a person who conceal carries in public, you need to be more than just prepared to defend yourself with your firearm.
You also need to be prepared to defend yourself in the courthouse. Even if you are victorious and the shooting is ruled to be justifiable under law, it will be a very expensive endeavor.
This is where having CCW insurance comes in. Not only will your costs be covered and you can avoid bankruptcy, you’ll also be given an expert attorney who will greatly increase your odds of winning your case.
USCCA currently offers some of the best protection plans that are available. If you agree that CCW insurance is something that would be nice to have even for just peace of mind. USCCA should be the first protection plan you consider.