Drones are becoming more and more popular and as people use them for business or recreation, injuries related to drones are unfortunately on the rise. When a drone injury occurs, it is difficult to know exactly who caused the injury and how to hold that person or entity responsible for any damages caused.
Here are a few examples of individuals or companies that may be held responsible for drone injuries, depending on the circumstances.
The Drone Operator
Most often, the operator of the drone is found to be at fault when his or her drone injures someone else. Drone injuries are easily caused by operator error and carelessness, whether they exhibited negligence when maintaining the craft or when flying it.
Hackers
While hackers of drone software do exist, they’re responsible for a very small percentage of drone crashes. However, in any drone injury, it’s important to examine all potential responsible parties. Signal scramblers can cause a drone to stop working and suddenly drop out of the air, potentially injuring anyone standing below. However, in order for a drone operator to defend him or herself and suggest that hackers are responsible for the injury, there must be proof that hacking took place.
The Designer or Manufacturer of the Drone
Products of any kind – including drones – can become defective either through poor design or a manufacturing defect. Similar to traditional product liability claims, the burden of proof is on the plaintiff to determine if and how a manufacturer defect caused an accident and any related injuries.
The Drone Retailer
On occasion, the retailer of the drone may be found at fault for injuries. If a retailer is knowingly selling drones that are defective or is selling drones to individuals under the age of 13 (in the U.S., according to the FAA, users must register to fly an Unmanned Aircraft (UMA) to legally fly a drone — and you must be 13 to register). While it’s not against the law to sell a drone to someone under the age of 13, in some cases the retailer could be held at least partially responsible if the drone was sold irresponsibly.
If you or a loved one were hurt by a drone, don’t hesitate to contact a drone injury attorney with experience. Contact the Law Offices of Mazow | McCullough, PC today for more information by calling 855-693-9084.
