Allstate Corp. said a Federal Aviation Administration decision
clears the way for the insurer to continue research into the use of
drones, joining a series of other insurers that are testing
unmanned aircraft as a way to inspect insurance claims.
In a news release Wednesday, Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate
said the consortium it has been working with—Property Drone
Consortium—received an exemption from the FAA to research using
drones to inspect property claims for everything from hail-damaged
roofs to collapsed buildings to flooded neighborhoods.
Insurers have said drones will improve their ability to swiftly
respond to claims from hurricanes, tornadoes and floods by
providing aerial images of areas claims adjusters can't get to.
They also see drones as a way to reduce injuries from risky roof
inspections. However, insurers could be constrained by various FAA
limits aimed at easing concerns about safety and the potential
invasion of privacy.
The FAA has cleared a number of the nation's largest property
insurers to use unmanned aircraft. In April, American International
Group Inc. said that it received FAA approval to use drones to
conduct inspections in the U.S. The FAA previously had approved
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and United Services
Automobile Association, or USAA, to test drones in the U.S.
Write to Tess Stynes at tess.stynes@wsj.com
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