3d-aholic

My Feedback: (7)

I've read alot about the fact that the AMA insurance only kicks in after your "homeowners" policy is used up. I don't understand that. I thought the homeowners policy covers theft, fire or destruction to your house. How can you homeowner policy cover anything you do 20 miles down the road at a field with a model aircraft?

Matt Kirsch

My Feedback: (21)

It depends on your homeowner's policy, but in general they cover the homeOWNER. That's why they're called homeowner's policies.

3d-aholic

My Feedback: (7)

So if your homeowners policy doesn't cover anything than, AMA insurance takes the full brunt?

zxcv11

anyone.....anyone??

Mike in DC

Your homeowner's insurance typically has a "liability" component, that covers you if you are responsible for someone else's loss. Typically, this is something like someone slips on your walk, but the location is really not an issue, it's that you've been found at fault in someone else's loss.

Not all policies are the same, but I'd be very surprised if yours didn't have this liability component.

smokingcrater

Nearly all homeowner policies have it, and in fact the commonly called homeowner 4 coverage does also, this is for apartment renters and covers contents. Basically it is fairly broad liability coverage that covers almost anything except what is specifically spelled out as far as exclusions. (and I've never seen one that actually did exclude model RC)

and yes, if your homeowner's insurance doesn't cover it or you don't have it, AMA will possibly cover you then, assuming there wasn't a condition that was violated.

MustangFan

Takes the full blunt ...

If you follow all their rules to the hilt ?

3d-aholic

My Feedback: (7)

Thank you...yes the inevitable "If". I guess if you forget to pie before you start flying, technically, you could be flying recklessly.

I was reading in some other thread on the Tail touch thing I believe, that AMA has gotten out of every claim its every hard....hopefully thats not true.

J_R

As you are now aware, the AMA coverage is secondary to Homeowner's or any other insurance you have. For those that have no other insurance, it is primary.

Ask the person that posted that to name just ONE instance where the AMA's insurance did not cover the incident, where there was not other insurance in place.

JR

3d-aholic

My Feedback: (7)

I never really believed that anyway...seems "statistically" and "legally" impossible. But they indicated that the homeowners policy takes most of the brunt and AMA is deflected or something to that nature. Law is such an imprecise thing, no-one gets away with everything forever...there is always an exception.

I do know that my insurance agent for my car is always telling me I have to increase my liability to exceed the value of my home, because, if not, they will go after the home if you are in an accident and its found to be my fault. The fact there is additional liability protection in the homeowners insurance means, she is a tiny bit lieing...

flicka5

My Feedback: (2)

Talked the AMA insurance expert ( he is a lawyer) at the Toledo Expo. AMA booth a few yrs. back and he told me that there has only been one case where AMA insurance would not pay a claim over the last 20 some years that he had knowledge about. The myth that AMA insurance doesn't pay claims is just that, total nonsense! They have paid out millions of dollars in claims! Don't let anyone fly at your club field without AMA coverage, period.

RichLockyer

While it's really not a bad idea, this is an agent wanting to sell you more insurance.
GENERALLY (not always) claims will not exceed the amount of insurance that you have (assuming you have a reasonable amount). Nobody wants an uncollectable debt, and (again, in general), the only time your home would be at risk would be in cases of intentional actions or extreme gross negligence.
If you have no equity in your home, there's nothing to go after. They can put a lien on your property so that you cannot sell it without paying them, but your mortgage would have to be satisfied first. If you owe 50k and sell for 100k, then they would get the second 50k. AFAIK, a sale cannot be forced except in certain special cases such as divorce.

But on the insurance, if you have 50k in coverage, you can bet your patootie that the lawsuit will be either for 50k, or will settle out of court for 50k and not a penny less. If you bump your coverage to 100k, same thing. Deep pockets rules the legal world. WE generally don't have deep pockets, so are generally off of the radar scope.

If you have bought the cheapest policy available that barely satisfies your state's requirements, then ya, things might be different. Minimum coverage will not replace an SUV or luxury car if you happen to total it.
On the flip side, if you can't afford more than the minimum, then you may not be worth going after for more.

neacp06

I think this is really discrimination. If I rent an apartment and have no home owners then AMA will pay the claim. But if I own a home then I am liable for the claim. Which in turn will drive up my premiums thru the roof. Not fair to the home owner. I think AMA should pay the claim regardless if I own a home or not. This really irks me.

NdFrSpeed

My Feedback: (1)

This is a little confuseing,one says homeowners kicks in first,AMA second,but another says AMA has paid out Millions,now if homeowners kicks in first,Its hard to see how AMA has paid out Millions.

NdFrSpeed

J_R

Homeowners does kick in first. Most claims probably never even come to the attention of the AMA. Some claims are by those that have no other insurance, and, of course, the AMA is aware of those and pays them. This is the reason the premiums for the AMA liability insurance is reasonably low... a premium reflected in the dues. If this were a primary policy, I would not even venture a guess as to the cost. As a group, we all benefit from the low premium.

You have to keep in mind that about 50% of the claims are generated against clubs and landlords. Normally, the clubs have no other insurance and the landlord coverage is primary, not secondary. These are the areas where a lot of the larger claims are paid. These are the coverages, to a large extent, that allow us to have flying sites. How many landlords would allow our activities without coveage? There are even some landlords that would not allow club meetings to take place without coveage... places where there is no flying at all.

The largest bodily injury settlement, due to flying, was 1.3 million to a CL participant. The largest property damage settlement was for a fire casued by a FF model. Those do not include non-flying type accidents. It's fairly easy to see where it is a safe and honest statement to say that over 20 years "millions have been paid".

The AMA discloses the "lump" amount of all settlements in years where all the claims for a year have been settled. On average, there are 4 years with open claims, where the information is unavailable. The disclosures are on the AMA web site, in stand alone documents or in the Digital Archives.... if you can find them.

JR