IAG uses drones to assess Australia bushfire damage

For the first time in Australia, insurer IAG has used drones to view damage caused by the devastating bushfires in the Great Ocean Road area.

The insurer said the new technology will help fast-track the assessment process for customer claims.

IAG mobilised the drone technology through a property repair partner enabling the insurer to inspect properties before physical access was granted by authorities and start processing customer claims immediately.

Aerial imagery shot by the drones also allowed both assessors and customers to review damage from a safe location, removing the risks associated with physical site visits such as asbestos, fallen power lines and land slips.

IAG worked with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) throughout the process to ensure the use of drones would not impair fire-fighting efforts.

In addition to aerial assessment, the insurer is providing a range of support to customers in the affected area through its CGU Insurance brand.

This included emergency accommodation assistance and immediate access to emergency funds.

“The impact caused by the Victorian bushfires was incredibly stressful for the homeowners affected and using drone technology as part of our assessment process allowed us to make the experience safer, simpler and faster for our customers,” said Andy Cornish, chief operating officer for IAG.

“We are proud to be the first insurer in Australia to use drones to assess damage following a major bushfire and have received extremely positive feedback from our customers who benefitted from this technology. We are already working with our property repair partner to develop how we can use this technology to help more customers in the future.”

Cornish also said that while technology has played a huge role in meeting its customers’ needs, IAG also understand that nothing beats personal connection when times are tough.

“We have allocated extra resource to ensure we have a team available on-the-ground to support our customers in getting back on their feet,” added Cornish.