You may have seen it on a closing disclosure, a settlement statement, or in a note saying the lender requires a policy before the sale can finish. It is insurance that protects against problems with a property's legal ownership, called the title. Those problems can include unknown liens, recording mistakes, forged signatures, boundary issues, or another person claiming an ownership interest that should have been cleared before the sale.

Unlike most insurance, it usually protects against past problems, not future events. There are often two kinds: a lender's policy, which protects the mortgage company, and an owner's policy, which protects the buyer's interest in the property. If a covered title problem shows up later, the insurer may pay legal costs, resolve the defect, or cover financial loss up to the policy limits.

That matters because a property can feel secure until an old debt, probate issue, or filing error suddenly threatens the sale, refinance, or right to stay on the land. For families already dealing with a move, repairs, or a dispute over who is responsible for unsafe property conditions, title insurance can prevent one hidden paperwork problem from becoming a much larger financial blow.

For an injury claim, title insurance usually does not decide who was negligent, but it can help identify who actually owned the property when the injury happened. In Alaska, any related personal injury claim still has its own deadline: the 2-year statute of limitations under Alaska Stat. § 09.10.070.