In the devastating wake of Hurricane Irma in Florida, roads are damaged, trees and power lines are down, and houses and buildings have been battered.
All of which makes it difficult to get to many sites to review them for claims. That’s where drones can come into play – and one drone operator has offered carriers extra services to assist with getting claims seen and settled faster.
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Insurtech company DropIn, which provides an “on-demand, live video platform” for insurers announced this week it would be donating “$2,000 service hours (equivalent to 100 free claims)” of drone capabilities, “so that any insurance company overwhelmed with claims related to Irma and Harvey will be able to use the service … to expedite claims processing.”
Drones can serve as a faster way for carriers to get a detailed view of what their insureds are facing, and to then determine what is required to remedy a claim.
Louis Ziskin, the company’s founder, told Insurance Business that drones could be an ideal solution for expediting property reviews.
“[It’s] efficient resource allocation,” he said. “If carriers can see in real time a constantly changing situation they are able to react more efficiently which allows them to help a greater number of people faster.”
The United States mainland sustained about $18 billion of insured loss, according to one model, with the majority of damage seen in Florida.
In the Florida Keys – which was hardest hit – some estimates are that 90% of homes were damaged, and 25% were destroyed.
And though a cynic may read DropIn’s offer as a pure business decision – and obviously it will help – Ziskin said there was also plenty of altruism behind this offer.
“It’s obvious that I am a businessman and this is a good business decision,” he said. “However … people and carriers are in need of help, and not donating access at this time, seems to me the same as letting unused food spoil rather than feeding someone hungry. That has never been my style.
“The platform is there, we are paying for maintenance, upkeep, and minimum usage requirements regardless.”
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