“The cost of using your firearm in self-defense can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars if you have to hire a lawyer, get yourself bailed out of jail, and fight for yourself in court.”
There has been some back and forth in various media and groups on the internet about possible gun control laws that would require a person who carries a firearm for self-defense to have insurance in case the firearm is used in any incident. And some legislators thought about making it mandatory to get a concealed carry permit. I don’t think I need to tell you this is a bad idea on many levels, but just in case, let me try.
First, you should NEVER have to pay to exercise a right guaranteed by the Constitution. But even that is still not a reason good enough for some. Second, by requiring insurance to be allowed to carry a concealed or open carry firearm, you are limiting the exercise of a right to only those who can afford to purchase the insurance. That is basically “disenfranchising” to those with a lower socio-economic status. Third, the market is very limited in the choices of insurance carriers, and there is no “standard” that one can look for in a company.
However, as much as I do not think it should be mandatory, if you are a responsible firearm owner and carrier, having self-defense insurance is a very good idea. The cost of using your firearm in self-defense can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars if you have to hire a lawyer, get yourself bailed out of jail, and fight for yourself in court. All of those things cost a lot of money; lawyers are not cheap!
Recently, the issue of firearms carry insurance came back to the forefront when the NRA, who recently hosted their national meeting in Atlanta, kicked the USCCA (United States Concealed Carry Association) out of the vendor’s area. The reason for this change of heart in the NRA was possibly the fact that the NRA just recently announced it was getting into the self-defense insurance business. Maybe the NRA just didn’t want to have a company at their meeting that was in direct conflict with them for business, which makes sense.
Either way, the idea of insurance is one that self-defense carriers should think about. I have more than one company for myself. I have USCCA Platinum and the NRA insurance. Like any insurance, you need to shop around and look at the benefits versus the cost.
Look at the limits of the protections and benefits. But if you can afford it and want to protect your family not only physically but financially against the chance that you may have to use your defensive firearm, then look into getting firearm carry insurance. But do not let the fact you cannot afford insurance stop you from carrying your defensive firearm! Either way, you should carry your self-defense firearm, insurance or not.
