Allstate's Drone Study Gets FAA Clearance

Allstate Corp. said a Federal Aviation Administration decision clears the way for the insurer to continue research into the use of drones, joining a series of other insurers that are testing unmanned aircraft as a way to inspect insurance claims.

In a news release Wednesday, Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate said the consortium it has been working with—Property Drone Consortium—received an exemption from the FAA to research using drones to inspect property claims for everything from hail-damaged roofs to collapsed buildings to flooded neighborhoods.

Insurers have said drones will improve their ability to swiftly respond to claims from hurricanes, tornadoes and floods by providing aerial images of areas claims adjusters can't get to. They also see drones as a way to reduce injuries from risky roof inspections. However, insurers could be constrained by various FAA limits aimed at easing concerns about safety and the potential invasion of privacy.

The FAA has cleared a number of the nation's largest property insurers to use unmanned aircraft. In April, American International Group Inc. said that it received FAA approval to use drones to conduct inspections in the U.S. The FAA previously had approved State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and United Services Automobile Association, or USAA, to test drones in the U.S.

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