“Now, why does ISO define aircraft liability? Do you think it’s because they want to cover it? No,” he said. It’s going to trigger the definition of aircraft liability. “If you were to read this definition, your takeaway would be pretty much anything you do with a drone or somebody else does with your drone is going to be a problem for you. “Liability is the insurance you cannot go without,” he said.įrom a liability standpoint, all the ISO (Insurance Services Office Inc.) forms have the same language, and the definition of aircraft liability is very comprehensive, Amrhein said. When it comes to personal, recreational drone use, common concerns are bodily injury claims and property damage claims, Amrhein said. I’m only going to talk to you about insurance.'” “Or I would say steer the conversation back to, ‘That’s a great question. “You better know what you’re talking about,” Amrhein said.
#Hobby drone insurance professional#
It’s up to operators to know and follow the regulations in their area, whether they are flying for personal enjoyment or professional pursuits. He recommends insurance professionals and drone operators study the rules on the Federal Aviation Administration site, Drones are aircraft and subject to the same regulatory authorities as other aircraft on federal, state and local levels, he said. The best place to start learning is at the federal level, said Amrhein. Regardless of professional status or skill, drone operators need to follow regulations. Lots of separate rules, including what kind of certifications are required and what you have to do to get those things.” “There are separate rules about commercial use, and this is now commercial use. “If you are charging for the use of a drone, it’s no longer considered recreational use,” he said. Taking pictures may instinctively seem like a low-risk venture, but in this case, it’s the payment that will trip up coverage and change the rules, Amrhein said. “Do you feel like that’s a question that you are supposed to answer?”
“If you were asked that question, as an insurance agent how would you respond to that?” Amrhein said. “I think it’s probably more in your interest to present yourself to your insureds as the insurance expert.”įor example, what if a client wants to know whether they can charge a fee to take pictures of groups with their new drone? Rather than presenting “yourself to your insureds as the end-all-be-all of drone regulations,” he said. “And I think we as insurance professionals need to be confident enough to be able to say, ‘There are rules. “Lots of folks will ask you questions throughout your tenure as an insurance professional - ‘Hey, can I do this with my drone? Can I do that with my drone?'” Amrhein said. Insurance professionals need to know the limitations of what they should discuss with clients or advise clients when it comes to drones, Amrhein said. He outlined some need-to-know information for insurance professionals in his Insurance Journal Academy of Insurance course, Insuring Drones (Because Humans Do Dumb Things with Them).
Kevin Amrhein, president of the Florida Insurance School of Continuing Education and the CE partnership, has answers for insurance professionals who can expect to see an increase in drone coverage conversations as the use of drones for fun and profit continues to grow. The potential for drones to cause injury and property damage raises questions about what types of activity are covered by existing insurance and whether drone hobbyists or professionals should have specific insurance that covers drones, and whoever or whatever gets in the way. Drones are an increasingly popular hobby for adults and kids.Īnd it’s all fun and games and cool videos until something glitches, and an out-of-control rack of spinning blades hits someone in the head.
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