Damage caused by drones: is it covered by liability insurance?
Drones: they are increasingly being used for different purposes. For business operations, promotional films or to take aerial footage. They are even being used for damage assessments. But did you know that the majority of liability insurers do not provide cover as standard for drones that causes damage? You can read here how to insure drones.
A drone could hit something or could crash somewhere. Whether you are personally using this drone or if you have hired a company that uses the drone, it is important to know whether any damage caused by a drone is insured. Liability insurance often doesn’t cover ‘damage caused with or by an aircraft’. Fortunately, there is a solution:
Additional clause
A number of insurers allow you to extend the cover provided under the liability insurance through the addition of a clause. This offers liability coverage for damage caused by drones. The insurer will then require a specification for the drones, information about the weight and where and how the drone will be used.
No cover will be provided for certain situations:
- unmanned aircraft that requires a licence and does not have this licence.
- unmanned aircraft in areas where this is not permitted.
- unmanned aircraft weighing more than 150 kg.
A licence is required in order to use a drone for business purposes. This can be applied for from the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport - ILT). Companies are often required to take out liability insurance for damage caused by drones anyway.
If you hire a company to fly a drone, check carefully that the insurance has been arranged properly and read through the conditions. That is because damage is not insured under your own liability insurance, but under the insurance of the company you hire.
Do you have any questions about your liability insurance and the use of drones? Please contact Rob van Leyen or by phone on +31(0)20 504 27 21.
