DJI Drone crashed into my vehicle at car show

[ATP]

I can’t buy the “fall out of the sky“ business due to airspace restrictions. DJI either would not let you take off if the drone was within restricted airspace or it would just stop at the boundary of the airspace as it is trying to enter the restricted airspace and notify the operator on the controller.
Getting the FAA involved will add to the FAA’s ammunition to further restrict this hobby, much better to just get the $ required from the father on the QT.

 

[FL Mike]

Hoping you all may be able to provide some insight here. Located in Dallas, TX.

This past weekend I was at a car show, my vehicle was parked and I was standing behind it. A large DJI drone came crashing straight down into my hood/driver’s side fender, leaving significant dents and scratches on both my hood and fender. Unfortunately my vehicle is expensive. A $140,000 Range Rover SVR with carbon fiber on the hood and a special order paint color. Estimated damages are over $10,000 as I need a new hood, fender, and clear PPF wrap redone on the entire hood (This did save the paint quite a bit but it’s still bad enough to need replacing). Couple photos attached of the damage.

Initially tried to go through the drone owner’s home insurance, but they have denied any and all liability because the owner didn’t operate the drone in a “negligent manner”, as it seems the drone simply malfunctioned. Aren’t there rules and regulations in place prohibiting people from flying these things over large crowds of people? If this had hit a bystander instead of my hood, it likely would have killed them. I am not sure if the drone was properly registered with the FAA, but in doing some research it sounds like the pilot may be required to report this incident to the FAA? If he was flying this illegally that would seem to constitute negligence to me, but their insurance company seemed clueless on any rules regarding this.

Trying to avoid filing a claim on my vehicle insurance for obvious reasons. This is a rare, speciality vehicle and I would rather not have a damage report showing up on my carfax thus devaluing the car, increase in rates, etc. Drone owner says they are filing a claim with DJI, but surely that is not going to cover the $10,000+ to repair my vehicle. I am not familiar with drones and the laws surrounding them and would appreciate any insight you all can provide.

Thanks.View attachment 114085View attachment 114087

This will show up on carfax regardless of who’s insurance it goes against.

 

[glamb56]

This will show up on carfax regardless of who’s insurance it goes against.

Hence why I am trying to get a settlement directly from the father for the damages to my car. If they pay me in full I’ll be happy, and then they can fight with their insurance for reimbursement. I suppose if it does show up on the carfax I have plenty of pictures and videos to prove the damage was purely cosmetic and repaired properly using my Land Rover dealer’s shop for specialty vehicles.

If all else fails I will just have to suck it up and file a claim with my own insurance. Trying to avoid that if possible.

Today I am trying to ascertain if the pilot was flying illegally and if so, hoping I can use that information to my advantage in negotiations with their insurance company, or pushing the owner to pay for my repairs in full.

 

[macfawlty]

It doesn’t matter if he was flying legally or illegally. He’s still liable for the damages. I think we can assume he was not hired by or have the permission of the venue/promoters, so they’re not liable.

If you didn’t call the police and file a report, you can still do that. If a bicyclist ran into your car, the bicyclist is responsible for the damages. Whether the bicyclist (drone operator) has insurance is not your problem. He’s liable. If a large jackalope ran into the Range Rover, you’d call insurance because jackalopes don’t typically carry liability insurance.

Personally, I’d let your auto insurance company handle it and not worry about a Carfax history for minor body damage. The downside is that insurance companies often don’t bother to fight legal battles over minor property damages that don’t involve medical claims, so it may affect your insurance rates, but probably not. Call your insurance agent for guidance. Trying to personally fight another person’s HO insurance over something the insured doesn’t have insurance for is an exercise in frustration. At 19, he doesn’t own a home and probably lives with the parents, so it’s their HO policy.
Personal feelings aside, call your insurance and let them deal with it. The Carfax issue is incidental. You can still sue the drone operator, unless your insurance company doesn’t. He probably has both civil and criminal exposure. Perhaps if he is arrested, facing fines and a police record, it will light a fire under his butt and he’ll get his dad to pay for it.

Disclaimer: I’m not a police office, attorney or insurance agent. I’ve been in these scenarios before.

 

[Flycaster]

Agree with Macfaulty, file under your insurance and get if fixed right. (carfax will show, but minor "skin" damage, not like an actual "impact", that can cause major frame issues.

And let the insurance companies fight it out. The kid is liable no matter what, and maybe the parents also if he is under 18.

And file a police report and with the FAA. Then sit back whilst your vehicle is being repaired, and thinking about the kid/parents "sweating" to see what happens with the FAA....

 

[chuckm]

It would seem to me that the drone owners home insurance doesn't have much of a leg to stand on. Flying over people and expensive property is negligent and the insurance company is shirking its responsibility and trying to shift it to DJI. Check with the insurance commissioner in Texas (if there is one), they might lend some assistance. Also, if flying in Class B airspace, the pilot should have obtained a LAANC authorization before flying. I'll bet that they didn't.

 

[RocketmanTurbo]

No LE involved. I made sure to get 3 witness names and numbers from the scene. A 19 year old was piloting the drone. His father was also at the car show with him so that’s mostly who I’ve been dealing with, in addition to his insurance company which informed me today they have no liability. Both the drone owner and I are still trying to right with his insurance, so we will see what comes of that.

Found this on the internet regarding insurance coverage. Seems if true, that most homeowners policies cover non commercial drone owners for damage/liability. I have an umbrella policy along with my homeowners policy and may contact them just to be assured. Even though I am a long time commercial photographer/filmmaker, I do NOT use the drone in my business. Strictly a hobbyist.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Recreational Drones?

Drones are a fun, yet expensive habit that you should be insured for. In this article we discuss when and how insurance can cover you and your drone.

www.valuepenguin.com

 

[Flycaster]

While the "pilot" may have authorization to fly in Cls. B air, and all the sing-offs you may want or need, etc, etc, etc, the pilot is responsible for ANYTHING that happens. Regardless of whatever type of failure. Pilot, equipment, flying legally, flying illegally, anything.

Period.

 

[Flycaster]

Found this on the internet regarding insurance coverage. Seems if true, that most homeowners policies cover non commercial drone owners for damage/liability. I have an umbrella policy along with my homeowners policy and may contact them just to be assured. Even though I am a long time commercial photographer/filmmaker, I do NOT use the drone in my business. Strictly a hobbyist.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Recreational Drones?

Drones are a fun, yet expensive habit that you should be insured for. In this article we discuss when and how insurance can cover you and your drone.

www.valuepenguin.com

One may want to get a written "rider", or confirmation as you mentioned, that states you are covered under the Umbrella policy, just to make sure one is covered, and that you can sleep at night..

Of course, there is always Verifly....

 

[RocketmanTurbo]

One may want to get a written "rider", or confirmation as you mentioned, that states you are covered under the Umbrella policy, just to make sure one is covered, and that you can sleep at night..

Of course, there is always Verifly....

Thank you. I am a big believer in getting it in writing also!!!!!!

 

[RocketmanTurbo]

One may want to get a written "rider", or confirmation as you mentioned, that states you are covered under the Umbrella policy, just to make sure one is covered, and that you can sleep at night..

Of course, there is always Verifly....

Sort of similar to if I had a German Shepherd dog, or other type of dog, I would want to contact my homeowners insurance to make sure I was covered for liability. A few years ago, I got a call at the studio from an attorney, to photograph a person with dog-bite injuries.....I later heard that cost the dog owner $40k. It was settled by their insurance company moments after seeing the photos. Sorry a little off topic here but in a way related.

 

[DanMan32]

As for the question about where to find the registration number on the drone:

The registration number is more akin to a serial number rather than a tail number and there's no specification on size or font.
It used to be the number could be anywhere on the AC not requiring a tool to get to, which meant it could be in the battery compartment. Because of fears of booby trapped drones, it was changed to having to be on the outside. Again, no specs on how big it has to be.

Pilot is also required to have his registration ID with him. That can include an electronic copy. Law enforcement can ask to see it.

Quads weighing less than 250g are exempt from registration (Mini fits that description), but operator is still required to follow FAA rules. Since flying in controlled airspace requires getting authorization, and you need a registration number to get the authorization, one can't fly an unregistered drone in controlled airspace regardless of weight.

 

[Ukung]

Hoping you all may be able to provide some insight here. Located in Dallas, TX.

This past weekend I was at a car show, my vehicle was parked and I was standing behind it. A large DJI drone came crashing straight down into my hood/driver’s side fender, leaving significant dents and scratches on both my hood and fender. Unfortunately my vehicle is expensive. A $140,000 Range Rover SVR with carbon fiber on the hood and a special order paint color. Estimated damages are over $10,000 as I need a new hood, fender, and clear PPF wrap redone on the entire hood (This did save the paint quite a bit but it’s still bad enough to need replacing). Couple photos attached of the damage.

Initially tried to go through the drone owner’s home insurance, but they have denied any and all liability because the owner didn’t operate the drone in a “negligent manner”, as it seems the drone simply malfunctioned. Aren’t there rules and regulations in place prohibiting people from flying these things over large crowds of people? If this had hit a bystander instead of my hood, it likely would have killed them. I am not sure if the drone was properly registered with the FAA, but in doing some research it sounds like the pilot may be required to report this incident to the FAA? If he was flying this illegally that would seem to constitute negligence to me, but their insurance company seemed clueless on any rules regarding this.

Trying to avoid filing a claim on my vehicle insurance for obvious reasons. This is a rare, speciality vehicle and I would rather not have a damage report showing up on my carfax thus devaluing the car, increase in rates, etc. Drone owner says they are filing a claim with DJI, but surely that is not going to cover the $10,000+ to repair my vehicle. I am not familiar with drones and the laws surrounding them and would appreciate any insight you all can provide.

Thanks.View attachment 114085View attachment 114087

To much reflections in the picture to see the damage properly. 10.000

 

[macfawlty]

Agree with Macfaulty, file under your insurance and get if fixed right. (carfax will show, but minor "skin" damage, not like an actual "impact", that can cause major frame issues.

And let the insurance companies fight it out. The kid is liable no matter what, and maybe the parents also if he is under 18.

And file a police report and with the FAA. Then sit back whilst your vehicle is being repaired, and thinking about the kid/parents "sweating" to see what happens with the FAA....

And I agree with the pressure tactics. But, FAA isn’t gonna help get your $$. If someone is responsible for $10,000 in damages and ignores their liability, you can sue for the damages plus attorney fees. The judge may also levy fines for not paying. I don’t think the parents want to defend a case they will lose, which will cost them more money than if they paid it. As I mentioned, if your insurance company pays the claim and does not sue the drone pilot, you can sue the pilot yourself and get an extra $10k out of it. Bonus! It matters not that your insurance paid it. You’ve been paying the premiums for many years.

 

[1buddyc]

Think I’m going to be sick, as a Collector Car owner and a Drone Pilot.
A Collector Car owner’s worst nightmare.
That Drone Operator has no excuse for his actions in irresponsibly flying over an area he had to know was not a good idea.
I don’t see any easy resolution to any of this...

 

[Flycaster]

It is simple, file a claim with your insurance, get car fixed. Your done. No more fretting at all.

Insurance will go after the pilot/parent for reimbursement of said payout.
And if you want, you can file a flight incident with the FAA, and they won't help with the car or anything, but will look into "the infractions" said pilot did, and that is on their plate, not the car owners...

 

[Ken no Barbie]

Did i miss it or where is the ask for the data from the crashed drone? Maybe it did malfunction. Not sure how that would affect insurance,

 

[Flycaster]

Does not matter if the drone "malfunctioned", a bird strike takes it out, whatever,
the pilot has full flight responsibility.
Period.
He was flying/hovering over folks and expensive vehicles.
Gravity won.

 

[macfawlty]

I agree. To my left was a $450,000 Ferrari 488 Pista, and to my right a $600,000 Lamborghini Aventador SV. The pilot has a much higher risk tolerance than I ?

With $450k on your left and $600k on your right, I'd say that pilot is one of the LUCKIEST guys in the world. I would not in a MILLION years fly anywhere near an event like that. He was obviously flying around people as well, so doubly stupid and lucky.

 

[glamb56]

UPDATE: Their homeowners insurance called me this afternoon and told me they will be paying the claim in full. I am free to use any shop I want which is also a relief. Rental car paid for as well. Thankful I didn’t have to go another route in dealing with this.

Appreciate you all for the help and advice. I am now much more educated on drone laws and regulations than I ever thought I would be ?