A London-based law firm has said that the increasing use of drones in the UK could give rise to growth in some sectors of the insurance industry, reports City AM.
The Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) law firm has said that the rising popularity of drones has created a demand for specialist drone insurance that covers more than traditional public liability policies. The London law company states that members of the public that are using drones in public spaces may want to consider accidental damage to property, breaching privacy rights and the potentially high court costs of defending a health and safety or indeed a criminal investigation.
People who use drones in a commercial capacity, such as tech-savvy wedding photographers and live sports filmographers, need to consider a wide variety of insurance policies to ensure that any injuries to members of the public or any accidental property damage, for example, are completely covered. Therefore, their first port of call should be to examine professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance policies to ensure that they are covered by court cases.
Philip Tansley, the legal director at RPC, said: ”Major issues do remain to be resolved for insurers — such as the extent of the risk that drones have to commercial aircraft and the liabilities arising from drone use. However, with traditional insurance policies now specifically looking to reduce or completely exclude drone coverage, there is a clear marketing opportunity for specialist cover.
"Many industry commentators believe we have barely scratched the surface of drone usage. With the growth of that market, we are going to get a better understanding of the risks and coverage issues related to drones."
