Home insurer Allstate's drone project takes flight

(Reuters) - Home and auto insurer Allstate Corp said on Thursday it has been testing drone flights to assess property claims.

The company, which has been working with EagleView Technologies to test these drones, said that "drone flights are seen as possible improvements to claims efficiency for Allstate, especially after a catastrophe".

The insurer said that when physical access to a neighborhood is restricted by local authorities or by debris after disasters, a drone could help claims professionals serve customers.

"Drones can do things more safely and easier than a lot of what we do today," Allstate Claims Strategy and Innovation Vice President Shawn Broadfield said.

The company has also joined the Property Drone Consortium, which has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to use drones for further research that can help expedite the assessment of exterior property, like roof damage.

The consortium also plans to continue its research on safety, including collision avoidance, visual line of sight and other areas with drones, Allstate said.

(Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr)