General Liability and Equipment Insurance Both Available to Members of Professional Photographers of America Who Offer Drone Photography Services

ATLANTA, GA (November 7, 2016) - Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones) are one of the hottest gizmos on the photography and tech markets and a sure-fire contender for top gift this holiday season. For hobbyists, drones are a new toy that can provide fun for an afternoon. For many professional photographers, however, drone photography is an opportunity to incorporate a new line of services into their businesses and a way to attract new potential clients. As more and more drones take flight and buzz about overhead, these professionals are going to need to insure themselves, their equipment and their business to stay protected from any accidents that may occur.

Professional Photographers of America (PPA) has partnered with its insurance provider, Lockton Affinity, to offer the most competitive drone insurance on the market. Exclusively available to members of PPA, the new drone insurance package comes in two forms: liability and equipment coverage. PPA and Lockton will be holding a joint webinar, open to the public at no cost, "Are you covered? Drone Insurance 101." This informative session will be held on Nov 15, 2016 at 2:00 PM EST and registration, while free, is required and can be made here. A replay of the webinar will also be available on PPA’s website 48 hours later.

Drone Photography Liability Insurance is available to PPA members with a current General Liability policy. It is an endorsement (an insurance-world way to call it an addition) to the existing general liability policy instead of contracting a separate policy altogether. The decision to create an endorsement rather than creating a new insurance policy was made in order to keep the insurance premiums from rising for non-drone photographers who also use PPA's General Liability coverage. General Liability insurance covers bodily injury and property damage caused by the drone photographer while on a paid assignment. During the time of the incident, the owner of the policy must be a drone certified pilot and following state, local and FAA regulations. Two coverage options are available at either $25,000 ($100 annual premium) or $50,000 ($150 annual premium). In the event of an accident that causes a chain reaction, General Liability will cover the non-drone, additional damage.

To protect one's actual drone, PhotoCare Plus is offering drone photography equipment insurance with up to $5,000 worth of coverage for $175 annually. This additional insurance option will insure the physical drone itself, replacing or repairing it when it (inevitably) falls from the sky. This is also offered at a highly competitive rate and, when combined with the Drone General Liability and PPA membership, comes to a basic starting price of $834 per year. Again, the owner must be a certified drone pilot and compliant with state, local and FAA regulations at the time of the incident.

"There's nothing else like this kind of drone insurance package on the marketplace," says Kristen Hartman, PPA's Director of Member Value and Experience. "PPA's insurance is much cheaper than any other program out there. It's the first time that Lockton Affinity, our insurance partner, has ever provided this type of coverage, and it's only available to members of PPA. Even when adding the cost of a membership ($27 per month), this plan still beats all the other insurance options currently available for drone photographers."

The Drone Insurance 101 webinar on November 15 is meant for anyone interested to learn about the various insurance products available to members of PPA. It will explain what General Liability insurance is and what a General Liability claim might be, as well as outline why members need to purchase General Liability insurance to protect their personal assets. Lockton will review the newly created liability coverage for members who are using drones as a part of their photography business and will touch on how to insure the drone before it gets damaged. Webinar attendees will also learn about PPA's PhotoCare Plus Insurance, which provides comprehensive coverage for members' cameras and related photographic equipment at very competitive rates. The presentation will also address business owners policy insurance options and when photographers should consider purchasing those to ensure that they are adequately covered for all of their work.

Interested photographers should join the webinar or call PPA's customer service team to take advantage of these new insurance options or activate policies. The number to call is 888.202.1526 and to learn more about drones, visit PPA.com/Drones.