The emerging technology of camera-equipped drones has the
potential to have tremendous implications on how property claims adjusters do
their jobs and has been a frequent topic recently among leaders in the
insurance claims industry.
One hesitation by some in the claims industry and
elsewhere to embrace this technology relates to the uncertainty of how the
federal government will regulate the use of even small drones for such
commercial purposes, including threats of prosecution. However, a recent article in the Wall
Street Journal by Mr. L. Gordon Crovitz on March 16, 2014 entitled “Drones
Cleared for Takeoff” explains that “a federal administrative judge held that the FAA has no legal
authority to meddle in the market and dismissed a fine levied against an
operator who defied regulators by getting paid to use a drone to film the
University of Virginia campus. Judge Patrick Geraghty of the National
Transportation Safety Board ruled that the agency had only issued internal
guidance on drones and hadn't followed any process to apply restrictions
to the public.” The article states
that the FAA has appealed the decision, but Mr. Crovitz makes the argument that
the Federal government may be overreaching in trying to so tightly regulate
these small drones for commercial purposes, which one would have to conclude is
likely to include claims adjusting.
The
article can be found in the Wall Street Journal, or its online edition at: http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702304914904579441052310129582-lMyQjAxMTA0MDIwNTEyNDUyWj and it is interesting that it also includes a Reuters photo
of a small drone (DJI Phantom 2 Vision) in flight with the caption, “A camera
drone flies near the scene where two buildings collapsed in East Harlem in New
York City on March 12” (…no doubt piloted by a claims adjuster, engineer, inspector,
or other industry professional looking to get a unique perspective of the
damage to these properties in order to better do their job.)
