Insurance company cancels homeowners’ coverage due to aerial photos.
CSAA Insurance Group Uses Aircraft and Satellites to Assess Home Risks
California State Automobile Association (CSAA) Insurance Group is taking innovative measures to assess the risk on customers’ houses. Using aircraft and satellites, CSAA is capturing photos of homes to evaluate potential hazards.
CJ Sveen of Oakley recently received a notice from CSAA, stating that his homeowner insurance would be terminated due to debris and hazards in his yard. As a longtime customer of CSAA, Sveen was shocked by the non-renewal notice.
“I kind of was offended. You know; how dare you judge me for my stuff?”
When Sveen contacted CSAA to dispute the notice, he was informed that a drone had been used for the inspection. However, CSAA later clarified that they do not employ drones for surveillance of insured properties.
CSAA utilizes various sources of information, including thirdaerial photos.”>-party proprietary aerial imagery captured by aircraft and satellites, to assess the condition of insured properties. They evaluate these sources to determine the risk associated with each property.
Despite CSAA’s claims, Sveen was not given the opportunity to view the aerial photos or address the perceived risks in his yard. Frustrated, he sought out a better policy offered by a company catering to military members, veterans, and their families.
Similarly, Marilyn Smith and her husband received a non-renewal notice from AAA, stating that a drained swimming pool in their backyard posed a risk. However, the Smiths no longer used the pool and had repurposed it as a hothouse for growing lettuce and tomatoes.
Janet Ruiz, director of strategic communications at the Insurance Information Institute, emphasized the benefits of aerial imagery for property inspections. She stated that it provides reliable and cost-efficient data, making it safer and less time-consuming for inspectors or claim adjusters.
“Aerial imagery raises the standard for reliable, cost-efficient property data. It is safer, and less time consuming for inspectors or claim adjusters inspecting roofs, or inspecting multiple properties after a loss due to wildfire, wind storms, etc.”
CSAA maintains that customers have the option to provide photos or other documentation to dispute a non-renewal notice. However, some individuals, like George Nadeau, felt that the drone surveillance was unjustified.
Nadeau received a non-renewal notice from AAA, claiming that his roof had exceeded its useful life. He provided invoices and photos to prove that he had recently installed a new roof and upgraded it. Eventually, AAA reinstated his policy.
CSAA partnered with Cape Analytics, an artificial intelligence-based technology, in 2019 to enhance their home inspections.
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