Does anyone have CC insurance? If so which one and what are your thoughts on it?

I recently researched it. Seems most of them are not actually coverage but "reimbursement" insurance. You hire and pay the lawywers, etc and they pay you back. It also seems a bit expensive to me, but what do I know. I'm about to start researching with young lawyers to see what kind of retainer they would want for legal defense insurance. In this state, it is more than likely that you would only need one consult and maybe one appearance. The law strongly favors defensive shootings, for example, a man shot a drunk banging on his door thru the door with a .44 magnum here, and didn't even get indicted. If I lived somewhere strongly against the 2a, it might be worth having the insurance.

Had a thread recently. One take away is that it seems some insurance companies are more state specific.

I use a service started by a Law Firm here in Houston.
I believe they have expanded beyond Texas.
The universal site is U.S. Gun Shield.
Perhaps check them out ~ I have been a member with the original Texas Gun Shield for several years.

I wouldn't be interested.

A local firearms owners association I belong to arranged a group buy with USCCA. We reviewed numerous plans, and we felt USCCA had the best coverage. It is true insurance, not a reimbursement system.

There has been a lot of discussion on the subject here and on other forums.
I have yet to see where anybody can show any case where somebody actually used one of them to see how they performed in relation to their marketing claims.

I can see the prosecution turning this against a defendant.

"you were so confident that you were going to end up shooting somebody that you purchased special insurance to cover this very act?"

I was recently listening to a "gun friendly" lawyer discuss these policies. (local radio show). He cautioned:

1) Aggressive prosecutor could turn it against you.

2) Seeing what it actually covers -

- instant bail money?

- lawsuit from family who claims "he was just turning his life around?"

- Does it pay lawyer fees if/when you go to trial?

- Does it pay if you are convicted?

There was more, but that is the core of his message.

I think it is more marketing than anything else and frankly not worth it. JALLEN had a post regarding this issue some time ago. Schedule a visit with a local criminal defense attorney who is familiar with CCW law. Pay him for a consultation and explain that if you ever shoot someone you will need representation. Carry his card in your wallet and if it happens call him before you make any statement to the police. You should also put his number in your phone. Trying an 800 number or an attorney after you have just shot someone is not something I would want to experience.

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Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I think it is more marketing than anything else and frankly not worth it. JALLEN had a post regarding this issue some time ago. Schedule a visit with a local criminal defense attorney who is familiar with CCW law. Pay him for a consultation and explain that if you ever shoot someone you will need representation. Carry his card in your wallet and if it happens call him before you make any statement to the police. You should also put his number in your phone. Trying an 800 number or an attorney after you have just shot someone is not something I would want to experience.

Part of the problem with the above advice is it's only good if you get arrested close to home. Gun law is state by state, and sometimes county by county. Retaining council where you live is not going to do much if you're involved in an incident out of state, or even in a state where your council of choice has no experience in. Also, I'd take the warning about having insurance with the same grain of salt that all the hair trigger and boutique ammo warnings come with. In states with castle doctrine laws that shield you from criminal liability there's a lot less to worry about, but there are plenty of places where even a good shoot opens you up to the potential of significant civil liability. As always, YMMV.

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Part of the problem with the above advice is it's only good if you get arrested close to home

True statement if you are Palladin. I stay close to home. I would think that most of these gun incidents occur within the state of residence, but I do not have the stats to back that up. Whatever you are comfortable with is best. Some people carry a several million dollar umbrella policy to cover these sorts of liabilities from a civil viewpoint. My biggest concern is the criminal side, not the civil side.

I like ACLDN's plan. They'll pay up front, provide attorney contact info, and provide expert witnesses if necessary. IIRC they'll also help you in self defense cases that don't involve guns.

As for the "aggressive plaintiff" argument, if you have a decent defense lawyer I don't think it would take much to counter it.

Prosecutor: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The defendant had concealed carry insurance because he was just looking for an excuse to shoot someone.

Defense: Ladies and gentlement of the jury. How many of you have health insurance? Homeowner's insurance? Car insurance? Does that mean you want to get sick? Does that mean you want your house to burn down? Does that mean you want to wreck your car? Of course not. You have insurance to protect you in case the worst happens. The prosecutor is obviously grasping at straws to sway your opinion of my client.

If you have a prosecutor that's going to do something like that, he's going to try to make you look bad just for having a carry permit and carrying a gun. Might as well have the means to have a decent attorney defend you.

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Defense: Ladies and gentlement of the jury. How many of you have health insurance? Homeowner's insurance? Car insurance? Does that mean you want to get sick? Does that mean you want your house to burn down? Does that mean you want to wreck your car? Of course not. You have insurance to protect you in case the worst happens. The prosecutor is obviously grasping at straws to sway your opinion of my client.

That's actually pretty good!