Whether for personal or commercial purposes, one thing is evident, the utilization of Drones is on the rise. It’s projected that drones will be a multi-billion dollar industry in the coming years. Companies are starting to utilize and apply drone technology everywhere they can. From fast food deliveries to land surveying, the applications are seemingly limitless. Not surprisingly, insurance companies are also in the process of utilizing this relatively new technology.
So, if insurance companies are moving away from utilizing the human element from inspecting properties and rely more on A.I. what will that mean for the future of insurance claims? There are obvious pros to this new development. No longer will it be necessary for adjuster, public or otherwise, to put themselves in danger. Inspections will become as remote and automatic as a looking up an address through google maps. Gone will be the days of unnecessarily climbing onto steep roofs. While there are good things about this evolution. As a professionals who knows when something seems too good to be true, I have to consider the possible negative connotations. Unfortunately, when considering a home inspection and not being physically present, key elements will be missed when determining the damage to some losses. For instance, It’s nearly impossible to determine wind damage to a roof without being physically present and physically being able to touch shingles to confirm or deny damage. For hail damage, some common hail impact characteristics are nearly impossible to see through photography or video and must be viewed with the naked eye. Not to mention it would be impossible to collect interior related damages depending on the source and severity of damage. In some instances, you cannot see water spots on a ceiling or wall unless it is looked at by the naked eye. Sometimes, you have to feel the wall or spot in question to determine soft spots or sagging. Such damage would be nearly undetectable and easily missed in a video or pictures. At this time, to our understanding, drones do not have a 360 degree view and could pose dangers to the people and animals living at an insured location. There have even been reports of people being injured out in the open from drones malfunctioning or loosing signal from their operator and falling from the sky. While I cannot discount the fact that drones will likely be continuously improved upon and have already made a profound impact on our society, as a Professional licensed public adjuster, I cannot at this time, in good conscious, put any faith into the method of using drones without a human presence as a means for accurately or appropriately inspecting homes and businesses.
Considering all of these things, it’s interesting to imagine what direction the Insurance industry is headed and if they’re searching for a way cut costs associated with man-power or if their intentions are pure and more directed towards the well-being and benefit of all parties involved. Regardless, it’s your right to ensure your home is inspected properly and according to your policy. If you find your experience questionable or just have questions, we’re here and happy to help in any way we can. We have dedicated people ready to talk through our chat channel or you can call us and speak directly to one of our public adjusters.