In what could be the first step toward changing how insurance claims are handled, Erie Insurance has moved from testing to actually using a drone to assist with a property damage claim.
In April 2015, ERIE became one of the first insurance companies to seek and receive permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to use drones commercially. The company is not aware of any other insurer that has used a drone to assist with an actual claim.
The drone was used to inspect the roof of a customer’s home after it had been repaired following ice dam damage last winter. ERIE then deployed the drone for a second, unrelated claim that involved a tree falling on a house. ERIE used the drone to capture detailed aerial images of the roof damage and compare it to the adjuster’s original photos after the tree had been removed.
