Drone Battery Causes House Fire

[LivinLarge]

Here are some tests of different methods of containing a LiPo fire:

 

[STKNRUD]

On renewal of your HO insurance policy, always get a statement from the underwriter, not the agent, that you’re home is covered by accidental fires related to your drone hobby AND your personal liability coverage includes injuries to others in the event of a non-commercial drone accident. The agents don’t know and it often is not in the coverage declaration you get.

 

[STKNRUD]

The worse part: “Thompson says his initial insurance claim was denied, but he hopes that the decision will be reversed.”

My charging station is on a metal cart, batteries stay there when not in use as well.

These are pretty good- put a fire resistant bottom on the charging shelf like a baking tray:

IRSHOME 3 Tier Metal Heavy Duty Utility Cart on Wheels, Storage Organization Rolling Cart for Bedroom, Kitchen, Bathroom, Office, Nursery Room, Pantry. Black Amazon.com : IRSHOME 3 Tier Metal Heavy Duty Utility Cart on Wheels, Storage Organization Rolling Cart for Bedroom, Kitchen, Bathroom, Office, Nursery Room, Pantry. Black : Office Products

If his drone activities are in any way commercial, he may not get covered.

 

[STKNRUD]

This is where I charge all my Lipos and where I store them. Total cost $400-$500. Is it worth it? You decide. But it is a lot less than one Mavic and I sleep well at night.

 

[MavicVA]

Why would an insurance company reject the claim?

I’ve been in the insurance claims business over 20 years and I can tell you there is NO reason, given the facts in the article, that any home owners insurance policy in the United States would deny this claim. Fire is covered for any reason no matter what the cause (excluding arson committed by the policyholder).
I’ve personally handled claims from Lithium batteries including one from a Phantom 3. That one was due to an after market charger and it just burned the hardwood floor immediately under the battery and cause some smoke damage.
From my own experience, if I had to guess, this claim wasn’t reported to the claims department but probably directly to his agent. Agents don’t like claims because it negatively affects their loss ratio. They probably heard it was a drone battery failure and suggested they go directly to the company that manufactured the drone. This isn’t legal or ethical but it does happen.

 

[MavicVA]

If his drone activities are in any way commercial, he may not get covered.

Even if his drone was 100% for commercial use the fire in his living room is still covered.

 

[DanMan32]

Just to be clear, the battery involved in the video was NOT a DJI battery, and there are no similar reports of any DJI batteries left on a charger ever catching fire!

How do you know that it wasn't a DJI battery?

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

On renewal of your HO insurance policy, always get a statement from the underwriter, not the agent, that you’re home is covered by accidental fires related to your drone hobby

I have always found, if something is excluded, it has to be in the policy PDS (product disclosure statement).
Accidental fires are generally covered under home insurance policies, exclusions that creep in to policies are normally items like optional accidental glass breakage, this one has been snuck into many insurers policies here in Australia in recent years.

I feel even if he was commercial this should probably still be covered under a home policy . . . the home fire part at least.

Possibly not public liability, which should always be carried if operating a business anyway.
Let the insurers argue about whether someone hurt is going to claim against home liability cover or business cover.

 

[GadgetGuy]

How do you know that it wasn't a DJI battery?

Because the screenshots from the video of the drone held by the owner that was not melted clearly are not of a DJI drone (more like a cheap, Mavic style knockoff, from the narrower shape), and nobody has claimed anywhere that it was a DJI battery. If it was, in fact, a Mavic or Mavic 2 battery, it would have been declared as such. Surely the owner would have mentioned it. Anybody claiming it is a DJI battery?

 

[AMann]

I just got a small welding blanket to keep near my metal battery charging cart - its 18” x 24” and rated to 1800 degrees- perfect for covering a battery that fails and lights up.

High Temp 18" X 24"(WL) x1/8" Carbon Fiber Welding Blanket Protect Work Area from Sparks & Splatte (18 x 24 inches) Amazon.com: High Temp 18" X 24"(WL) x1/8" Carbon Fiber Welding Blanket Protect Work Area from Sparks & Splatte (18 x 24 inches): Home Improvement

 

[DanMan32]

I didn't think it was clear what make/model it was, just a hunk of melted plastic as if it were eaten and regurgitated.
Description was too generic to know one way or another.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I didn't think it was clear what make/model it was, just a hunk of melted plastic as if it were eaten and regurgitated.
Description was too generic to know one way or another.

See screenshots from the video above showing the drone that was not melted, still showing the shape. It isn't a Mavic. Just a cheap clone using cheap batteries.

 

[Mike4884]

Kind of looks like a go pro karma ...when looking at the front and the props in the video

 

[GadgetGuy]

Kind of looks like a go pro karma ...when looking at the front and the props in the video

Not really a Karma, either, which seems wider to me, compared to the video screen captures from the video, which I provided in post #39 above.

 

[DanMan32]

I can't make anything out of those screen captures.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I can't make anything out of those screen captures.

Nothing about this shape looks anything like a Mavic without a battery, since he was charging the battery separately from the drone. It's not even the shape of a Mavic with a battery installed. Way too long and thin!