If you are in an aircraft accident or you suffer a loss will your aviation insurance policy provide coverage when you need it? That depends.
Aircraft insurance policies have requirements, conditions and provisions with which the insured must comply in order for the policy to provide coverage. These requirements often mandate the condition of the aircraft, qualifications and currency of the pilot and accuracy of the information provided by the insured to the insurance company.
If an accident or loss occurs, and a policy’s provision has been breached by the insured, the insurer may have the right to deny coverage. In that situation, the insured could find that he or she is without coverage. But, you may ask, “What if the breach of a policy provision is unrelated to or had nothing to do with the accident or loss, will coverage still be denied?”
The answer to that question will depend upon the state law applicable to the case. In some states (Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina, Texas and Washington) an insurer cannot deny coverage unless the breach was causally related to the accident or loss. In other states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee and Virginia) a causal connection between the policy breach and the accident or loss is not required for the insurer to deny coverage. The remaining states have not decided the issue one-way or the other.
If you live in a state that does not require a causal connection between a policy breach and the accident or loss, you need to make sure you comply with all of the provisions and requirements contained in your policy. Failure to comply could very well result in a denial of coverage if you are ever involved in an accident or loss.
If you live in a state in which a causal connection is required between a policy breach and an accident or loss, the insurer will have the burden of proving the existence of a causal connection. That may or may not be easy, depending upon the circumstances.
In either case, you would be fighting for coverage. In the aftermath of an accident or loss, a fight over coverage is the last thing an insured should have to worry about. To avoid these situations and to ensure that you will have coverage when you need it, you need to be aware of and comply with the requirements and conditions of your aviation insurance policy. Then you can enjoy the security of the aviation insurance policy for which you are paying your premiums.
