olasek
Pattern Altitude
Are lap children insured when they travel say in a typical 4-seater GA airplane?
I am talking about situation when they travel as a 5-th passenger.
I am talking about situation when they travel as a 5-th passenger.
are infants insured?
- Thread starter olasek
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mcmanigle
Line Up and Wait
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John McManigle
The policies I see have per-passenger limits, total limits, and number-of-passenger limits. I would guess (but read your policy) that if you have a policy for $500,000 per passenger, max 6 passengers, and the infant is the 5th passenger in a 4-seat plane, they're covered. If your policy is for 4 occupants, they're probably not. If your policy is for airplanes with up to 4 seats, probably yes.
Read how your policy is worded. 90% of the time the common sense interpretation of what's written in the actual policy will prevail. If you're worried enough that you're in the 10% realm, ask a lawyer.
ChrisK
En-Route
I've also known people who have had passengers with medical coverage that refused to cover aircraft accident related injuries, insisting that the pilot's incidental medical coverage must cover this. As many pilots typically don't carry large amounts of such coverage.....
Read your insurance policy. The answer is in there.
Tim
Line Up and Wait
Insurance? I had it once. Now I just don't fly with anyone!
Typically if you are loaded within legal spec, your coverage will be in effect. If you represented your plane as '4 seats' on the application and it is indeed a 4 seat plane, there is no misrepresentation on your application. If the FAA allows that infant to be loaded, then unless there is a specific exclusion in your policy prohibiting that legally loaded infant, then that infant is covered. I have not seen such exclusion language in a policy, but read yours.
pericynthion
Pre-takeoff checklist
This isn't what you asked, but IMO you have a moral obligation not to allow lap children, whether in a small GA piston or an airliner. They're extremely likely to be badly hurt in the event of an accident or mod/sev turbulence, where belted passengers would be fine.
There is something to be said for that.
4CornerFlyer
Line Up and Wait
The concept of lap children exists because those infants would be more likely to die in a car crash if, having been required to purchase another ticket, the parents chose to drive instead.
I would agree that the concept in a general aviation aircraft seems rather foolish. Then again, there are a lit of people flying around without shoulder harnesses installed.
Jon
I would agree that the concept in a general aviation aircraft seems rather foolish. Then again, there are a lit of people flying around without shoulder harnesses installed.
Jon
mrkbbd
Pre-takeoff checklist
While the answer is in your policy, it would also be a very interesting PR issue if the insurance company refused to pay for the child...I could only imagine someone going on the 5 o'clock news saying xyz insurance hates children, look what they are doing to my child...