macfawlty
Well-Known Member
And a reminder to us all... Don't do nothin' stupid!
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 ?
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 ?
Please see post #82 where OP explains his compensation.Did you think to contact the event organizer? Was he (the pilot) contracted by the organizers to video or photograph the event? Did the organizers carry ( or were required) any type of insurance covering unforeseen damages? Most events, especially events involving millions of dollars of publicly displayed gear, may have been required by the facility and/or governing body in order to meet the requirements of their permit to hold the event. Lots of additional unanswered questions and plenty of avenues to pursue recovery of your damages. Good luck!
Please see post #82 where OP explains his compensation. OP is neither owner or pilot of the drone.Sorry for your situation.
This is just my two cents.
I would go back to my insurance company as it is an expensive factory custom vehicle and restate the issue. Under the circumstances I would ask them to repair the vehicle again and attempt to work my way up in the hierarchy of decision making. If the insurance company ultimately refuses, then I would cancel my policy and find a company that is more customer oriented and does not nitpick coverage and claims. The insurance company's stance is telling in regards to the coverage you would receive in a catastrophic incident. If you have multiple vehicles and other policies with company you may have more leverage to get the repair done.
Just because it is class B air spaces does not mean the pilot was doing anything wrong or illegal. The pilot may have had FFA automated approval from LAANC to fly in a restricted air space and was flying in a safe manner. In which case it could become a costly legal battle with DJI and/or the pilot. As it hit a parked car I do not think the FFA provisions would apply to flying over vehicles. From my research in the past the flying over people or crowds provision would have to directly be proven with evidence. The FFA does thorough and lengthy investigation which would not resolve your problem in the near term.
It is strange that two drones fell out of the sky at the locations in such a short time period is a similar manner. Which brings into question another possibility. Was someone or some entity intentionally sabotaging flying drones. It could be by means of jamming or interfering with the signal both of which are far more serious FCC and FAA violations. Under that scenario or if a defense was raised you could be tied up for years in civil litigation.
I would consider reaching out to the drone operators and comparing information on what happened. By cooperating and voluntarily getting the flight drone logs it might yield invaluable information for which a police report could be filed under the belief that the drones were intentionally interfered with. Providing that report to your insurance company may be perceived by them as an act of vandalism or the equivalent. The insurance company may be more apt to cover your repair.
I am sure someone on this forum has the experience to interpret those logs.
He recovered the aircraft and information was exchanged. Leaving the scene doesn’t apply.16 years old to get a PPL, to get a driver's license, 16 to fly a drone...leaving the scene of an accident sounds fair