Insurance is the financial responsibility that is taken by a firm or person in case you damage someone's property or cause harm in any way to another person. Insurance is important to own before you drive any manned vehicle and the same is true for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Insurance is a key aspect of risk management and can help your business get through legal complications resulting from unforeseen accidents caused by your drone.
The owners as well as the manufacturers and operators of drones are finally showing interest in learning about drone insurance. Drones are still in a developmental phase and there aren't any specific rules and regulations governing their use. Therefore, there are a number of questions in the minds of the people regarding the insurance policies of these aerial vehicles. People want to know how the drone insurance is going to work. The following is a compilation of all the aspects that need to be kept in mind when it comes to drone insurance.
Is Drone Insurance Really Necessary
It is true that right now there are no implications for not having drone insurance. You can fly your drone even if it hasn't been insured. However, it is becoming increasingly necessary to buy insurance for these aerial vehicles as they can cause some serious damage if they go out of control and cause an accident. Moreover, as the use of these drones increases, the authorities would most definitely make it compulsory for the drone owners to buy insurance before they can start flying them. Therefore, it is a good idea to buy drone insurance today so that you don't have to worry about it at a later stage.
Criteria for Setting Premiums
The cost of drone insurance mainly depends on the level of danger that may be involved with the operation of the drone. Mostly, the choice of platform, the operator's experience and the use of the drone is taken into consideration for estimating the coverage that the insurance company will provide you. If there is a higher possibility of an accident happening, the cost of insurance may go up. On the other hand, if the operator is an experienced one and the chances of a collision occurring are less, the premium amount might not be that high. So, when looking for a good drone insurance plan make sure that the drone you have is a safe one and is being piloted by an experienced professional.
Insurance Coverage
Every drone insurance plan is different. The coverage that is provided by the drone insurance will largely depend on the policy that you are buying and the company providing it. The areas that are covered by drone insurance plans are different for the owner and the manufacturer. For instance, most insurance plans for drones provide coverage to the owners for the legal liability and the physical damage caused by their drone either to a person or a property. This insurance will cover you for the following aspects:
· Personal injury: If your drone invades the personal space of your neighbor or some other person and ends up injuring them.
· Non- owned: If you happen to crash someone else's drone that is not owned by you.
· Medical expenses: If your drone collides with a person, causing him/her injuries which require medical treatment.
· Premises liability: If your drone enters the premises of a person who does not like your drone invading his privacy.
· Damage to the UAS: Any damage sustained by the UAS during its flight either because of inclement weather condition or collision with an aerial object.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Drone Insurance Provider
Drone insurance is a very important issue and thus it is vital that you choose your drone insurance provider very carefully. There are a number of insurance providers available in the market offering various plans for insuring your drone. However, not all of them are good. Some of the companies are only in this business to make money and don't really care about their customers. If you want to find the best drone insurance provider then you will have to take into account the following factors:
- Reputation
The reputation of the drone insurance provider is of critical importance. You should only choose that insurance provider that has a good reputation among the people. The easiest way of finding out about the reputation of a drone insurance service is to have a look at the testimonials posted on its website. If the testimonials are generally positive then the company is a reputable one.
- Reliability
Reliability is also an important factor that should not be overlooked when it comes to choosing a drone insurance provider. Make sure that the company you are buying the insurance policy from is reliable and can be trusted with if you get into trouble with your drone.
- No Hidden Cost
All the best drone insurance providers have a very clear and transparent price structure. They do not have hidden costs which are revealed when you need the insurance to cover you. To avoid such an instance, go through the terms and condition of the insurance provider with the help of an insurance lawyer to be sure that there aren't any hidden costs mentioned in there.
- Customer Support
Customer support is also an important aspect that should be given due importance if you want to find the best drone insurance provider. You should make sure that the insurance company you are dealing with has a responsive customer support staff that answers all your questions promptly.
In a nut shell, drone insurance is very important and it would be wise for you to buy it if you plan on using these aerial vehicles for personal or commercial use. However, choose only a reliable and reputable insurance provider to get your drone insured.