Insurance Subrogation Rights

[FNG'54]

I am interested in hearing from anyone that has had or has heard of an insurance company suing a student pilot or a lisenced pilot that has rented an aircraft and then inadvertently damaged it. I am NOT talking about a pilot that goes out and flies recklessly and does stupid things.

 

I am a student pilot that expects to be soloing in the near future. I am training at a small school that provides excellent training but their insurance does not cover anyone but the aircraft owner. Although I do not consider myself particularly wealthy I suspect that I am worth suing. My goal after I obtain my PPL is to rent a helicopter and fly for recreational purposes only. The AOPA is now offering helicopter rental insurance for both liability and a small amount of hull coverage designed to cover an insurance deductable. The estimate I received was $1,200 per year for $1MM liability and $10,000 for hull coverage. I could do a lot of flying with the money I would spend on insurance each year.

[Trans Lift]

I wouldn't be flying with that school then.

[Snowman]

X-insurance is a lot cheaper, even the agent I spoke to at AOPA agreed. I think less than half, I had to get it to solo. All the schools near my location suggest it.

 

http://www.xinsurance.com/index/pilot-liability.html

[Pohi]

I wouldn't be flying with that school then.

 

I agree. Unless, of course, the school's rates reflect the fact that the student has to have their own insurance. Something along the lines of $150ish wet for dual time sounds fair if insurance is not provided.

[Inferno]

Sign me up! I'll just have to try really hard to not crash.

I agree. Unless, of course, the school's rates reflect the fact that the student has to have their own insurance. Something along the lines of $150ish wet for dual time sounds fair if insurance is not provided.

[rotorrodent]

X-insurance is a lot cheaper, even the agent I spoke to at AOPA agreed. I think less than half, I had to get it to solo. All the schools near my location suggest it.

 

http://www.xinsuranc...-liability.html

 

is this for FW or RW insurance? Best quotes I found for RW are about $6k/yr...well out of my league! FW for about $800/yr which is somewhat more reasonable.

 

Has anyone else done better?

 

Thanks

 

Rotorrodent

[delorean]

Good luck sueing a student.....all you have to say is they didn't train you well enough.

 

As long as what you did wasn't pure negligence or illegal (flying intoxicated, practicing autos, taking passengers, etc.) there is no way they are going to be able to recover anything from you.

 

This is SUPERVISED solo and your instructor is responsible for you. If anything, they'll go after the instructor as it is his certificate & endorsement that you're flying on. He/she evaluated you and said you were competent to act as PIC.

 

Rental is another story. But again, as long as it wasn't your negligence, it will be hard--especially if it was something mechanical that caused the accident.

 

Don't worry about it--just fly safe and let the school pay for the insurance. If they have the "fund" that you buy into to cover the deductable, that's not a bad thing for a few hundred bucks. Just make sure that money truely goes into an escrow acct and not their checkbook.

[brushfire21]

I was quoted by AOPA at $1100-$1200 last year. X-Insurance for the same thing is almost half at $593 for the Gold Program when I just checked and about $150 less if you drop to the Silver program with less coverage. For reference I am only a Private Pilot with no prior accidents, DUI's or other actions for reference. Hope this helps and this doesn't reflect what others may be quoted. As a rated pilot building hours it sounds sketchy if I can claim the ignorance on training statement and really don't want to rely upon it. For $500-$600 I think its pretty darn cheap personally in this day of legal battles.

 

Bodily Injury Liability Excluding Passengers Each Person: $50,000.00

Bodily Injury Liability Excluding Passengers Each Occurrence: $100,000.00

Property Damage Liability Each Occurrence: $50,000.00

Legal Liability to Non-Owned Aircraft Each Aircraft: $10,000.00

Aggregate: $200,000.00

Liability SIR: $1,000.00

[Jacknife]

X-insurance has plans that supplement your employers (if your a CFI) insurance and also the student. The flight school I go to leaves the CFI responsible for the deductible in the event of a mishap. I believe it was around $400 per year to insure the deductible. I find it funny to think you can insure your insurance.

[Snowman]

is this for FW or RW insurance? Best quotes I found for RW are about $6k/yr...well out of my league! FW for about $800/yr which is somewhat more reasonable.

 

Has anyone else done better?

 

Thanks

 

Rotorrodent

 

 

Not sure what kind of insurance you were looking at, Try to compare apples to apples. Just check out X insurance and see if its the same coverage you were quoted.

[Snowman]

I think my computer is mad at me!

[Trans Lift]

Try GEICO, 15 seconds could save you 15% or more!!