If you’ve been watching the Colorado gubernatorial race closely, you know that guns laws are once more set to become a point of contention.
Opponents want to do away with the state’s 2013 laws expanding background checks to private sales and limiting the size of magazines. Gun-control groups, of course, want to keep things as they are.
According to a Denver Post survey of the candidates, two of the GOP candidates for governor who responded agree that gun owners should be allowed to carry concealed weapons without a permit. None of the four Democrats who responded thinks that’s a good idea.
The debate on that question raises a related and ever-present question: should concealed weapon permit holders consider buying concealed weapon insurance?
This isn’t an issue for Coloradoans alone. Three million Americans carry loaded handguns on a daily basis, and 9 million do so monthly, according to a recent study. The majority of those gun-holders — 82% — say they do it for self-protection.
Just how many of these Americans carry “concealed carry” insurance isn’t known. Whether they should is without question. Just think about the potential for a gun owner to face criminal prosecution, as well as a civil lawsuit, were they to shoot and maim or kill someone, even in cases of self-defense.
Consider, for example, having to face criminal charges because your weapon accidentally discharged while you were pulling it out of its holster in the middle of moving it to your glovebox.
Or just imagine having a witness assert that you shot someone without reason when, in fact, you used your firearm to fend off armed robbers.
Worse yet, consider what might happen when the mother of one of those armed robbers takes you to court even after the police determine the shooting was in self-defense.
A concealed carry policy will pay your legal defense costs in these scenarios. Some policies also will cover family members in any incidents that occur in your home.
Concealed carry insurance policies aren’t all the same, though the best ones will cover the negligent discharge of a weapon, use of deadly force and self-defense shootings.
The more robust policies also will cover you even if you’re found guilty or accept a plea bargain with prosecutors.
Like any insurance policy, it’s important to take a close look at the fine print, or have your broker do it for you.
But don’t get the wrong idea. No matter who wins the governor’s race, using a firearm to shoot your wife’s (or husband’s) lover will not be covered – unless there was an altercation and you feared for your life.
Mike Rosser leads the Private Client practice at CCIG. Reach him at MikeR@thinkccig.com or 720-212-2068.