It Could Happen To You: Uninvited Pool Guests

Walter Whitford and his wife Suzy are thrilled with the new pool they've had installed at their house. Their daughter Marie is an avid swimmer and the Whitford's also love hosting their friends on their updated patio and deck area. Their neighbors also love the pool, and the Whitford's frequently invite Marie's friend Claire Gordon, who lives down the street, to come swimming. Claire has an older brother, Patrick, who comes home from college for a weekend with two of his buddy's. The Whitford's are at their beach house for the weekend, so they don't notice when Patrick and his two friends hop their fence at 2 am after a night out. Patrick doesn't realize his friend can't swim, so he thinks nothing of pushing him into the pool. By the time Patrick realizes that his friend's splashing is not a joke and calls 911, it's too late. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon are sued by the young man's parents, as are Mr. and Mrs. Whitford. The court decides that the Whitford's are partially responsible for having such an easy to climb fence and after several years of litigation a $2,000,000 judgment is assigned between both families. Fortunately the Whitford's have a Personal Umbrella policy. Their homeowner's pays out the first $500,000; their Umbrella responds for the remaining $500,000 settlement and $100,000 for their lawyer fees and court costs. The Gordon's were less prepared and did not purchase Personal Umbrella coverage; their 401(k) and Patrick  and Claire's college fund have to be liquidated so they can afford to hire an attorney, they decide to sell their home for their portion of the judgment. Can you afford to not have an Umbrella?