The Senate Civil Law Committee heard HB 1413, sponsored by Sen. Ford, on aircraft financial responsibility and liability. This bill increases the amount of financial responsibility required for the ownership, maintenance, or use of an aircraft to: (1) $100,000 for the bodily injury or death of one person; (2) $200,000 for the bodily injury or death of two or more persons in any one accident; and (3) $100,000 for damage to property in any one accident. It also provides that the owner of an aircraft who is not the pilot is not vicariously liable for damages unless the owner engages in negligent, reckless, knowing, intentional, or unlawful conduct that is the proximate cause of the damages, an agency relationship exists between the owner and the person who proximately caused the damages; or the owner’s liability is based on the doctrine of respondeat superior. The bill additionally specifies that certain provisions relating to the ownership of an aircraft are not intended to modify Indiana law on bailments or bailor liability. The definition of “operate aircraft” was technically amended by consent. The amended bill passed 7-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/house/1413.