*By Madison Alworth*
Verifly, a start-up that provides insurance for flying drones, said it will now also cover people. It will begin offering on-demand, short-term general liability insurance for contract workers and freelancers.
The company's app, originally designed for the gig economy of DJs, photographers, handymen, and dog walkers, gave Verifly a leg up when it looked to expand into other types of insurance, said co-founder and CEO Jay Bregman.
"This platform that we built was really a per-flight, drone insurance, and it was how we cut our teeth in building this episodic insurance," he said Wednesday in an interview with Cheddar. The contractors who were using their drone insurance were the ones who asked for coverage for their other freelance jobs. "They came to us and said, 'it's great that we have this system for the 5 percent of our work that deals with drones, but we'd like to do this for the 95 percent of our work that's photography, or construction, etc.' So we just listened."
There are 57 million Americans who work as independent contractors, often on short term jobs. In the least 20 years, the number of gig economy workers has increased by about [20 percent more](https://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/13/gig-economy-is-growing-heres-how-much.html) than payroll employees.
"Insurance is only sold by the year. So we stepped in to solve that problem," said Bregman.
Verifly users can purchase insurance for a specific gig and by the hour. The rates start as low as $5 an hour, and they're based on a variety of factors including the type of work, the length of the project, and where the job is located. Verifly insurance is available in 11 states, and the company has plans to be available nationwide by the end of this year or early next year. Its general liability policies are underwritten by Markel Insurance Company and the drone policies are underwritten by Global Aerospace, Inc.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/getting-insurance-for-your-gig).
Tesla is increasing wages for factory workers in Germany.
People are making travel plans and booking tickets as the holiday season nears. Johannes Thomas, CEO of Trivago, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on saving when booking lodging ahead of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Elon Musk unveiled 'Grok,' his new A.I. chatbot over the weekend, adding that it will be more rebellious than its counterparts. Cheddar News breaks it down.
Heinz is combining two popular flavors for its new condiment, pickle ketchup.
Federal health officials are expanding an investigation into potentially lead-tainted pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree marketed for children amid reports of more illnesses and additional product recalls.
Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run by businessman Warren Buffett, reported its operating earnings in its most recent quarter jumped more than 40% from a year ago but posted its first net quarterly loss in a year.
Maks Chmerkovskiy and wife Peta Murgatroyd, of "Dancing With the Stars" fame, are branching out into skincare.
Donald Trump began testifying Monday morning in his civil fraud trial, producing the spectacle of a former president and the leading Republican presidential candidate defending himself against allegations that he dramatically inflated his net worth.
The trial between Google and the maker of the game Fortnite will begin Monday as a San Francisco jury will hear Epic Games' case claiming the Google Play Store takes an unfair commission on purchases made through apps.
One of the most self-made and success stories in the country, Emma Grede, has worked along with the Kardashian Jenner family on many of their best-known brands. Grede, CEO and co-founder of Good American, gave back to the next generation of business leaders as a featured speaker at the Chase for Business Make Your Move summit last week. She spoke with Cheddar News about her career, her company's fashion brand, working with the famous Kardashian-Jennifer family and balancing her own family life.
