I got a drone for the holidays. Does ERIE cover a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) under a homeowners or renters policies?
It’s no secret that drones—a.k.a. an UAV or unmanned aerial vehicle—are exploding in popularity. The Consumer Electronics Association reports that 700,000 drones were shipped in the United States in 2015— a 63 percent increase from the year before.
If you’re someone who owns a UAV, you may be wondering whether ERIE would cover yours in the event it got damaged or hurt someone or their property.
The good news is that ERIE does cover drones that are used for personal use under both its homeowners and renters policies. ERIE has historically covered model airplanes, and a UAV meets the definition of a model airplane. So coverage for drones would be provided under your ERIE homeowners insurance, renters insurance and personal catastrophe liability (commonly known as umbrella insurance) policies. (Coverage, however, would not apply if you used your drone as part of your business operations. Other policy conditions or exclusions could also apply to limit or exclude coverage in specific circumstances.)
If you have specific questions about your drone being covered, want to learn more about how your coverage works, or to get a quote for new coverage, contact an Erie Insurance agent in your community. In the meantime, happy flying!