Hello!
We reached the last week of September, and we ended this month with a golden key, fulfilling our promise to talk about claims. Today the chat here on #MondayBlog is about true stories of drone claims that have occurred in recent years.
Running accident in Australia
In April 2014 in Australia, a triathlete was injured in an incident involving a drone that was filming a race. She claimed that the drone collided with her and said that "the ambulance team took a piece of the propeller out of my head."
The drone owner claimed that the athlete had been injured when she was startled by the drone's fall and tripped. The timing equipment interfered with the drone's operation while it was near people on the ground.
In November 2014, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions stated that evidence showed that the drone had collided with the triathlete who suffered head injuries as a result. However, taking into account the drone operator's young age and background, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution chose not to pursue the charge against the operator and referred the matter back to CASA. CASA later fined the operator $1,700 for flying the drone within 30 meters of people.
Another running accident, now in Canada
Stephanie Creignou was participating in a 5km run in Beloeil, Quebec when a DJI Phantom 3 drone crashed and hit her in the head. She was taken to hospital, where she was diagnosed with a cervical injury. On June 22, she was still unemployed and had to cancel a holiday with her husband. Rosaire Turcotte, who operated the crashed drone, said she couldn't understand how it happened and that she acted safely.
The incident was captured by a camera on a different drone, owned by VTOL-X, which had been hired to cover the event.
Flavio Martenkowski, CEO of VTOL-X, said he spoke with Turcotte about the danger of flying so close to a crowd just before the accident.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has opened an investigation into the accident.
Madonna di Campiglio, Italy
In December 2015, a drone filming a Slalom event in Madonna di Campiglio nearly hit Marcel Hirscher. The International Ski Federation agreed to the use of the drone, although the pilot was not allowed to fly directly over the race track. The race director said the pilot did not follow the federation's instructions. Since then, camera drones have been banned from federation World Cup races.
Child loses an eye in drone accident, November 2015
It was reported that a child lost an eye as a result of a drone accident. Simon Evans piloted the UAV that accidentally hit a tree and started to spin before hitting Oscar Webb. Oscar can see with his eye unharmed, but he will need several operations before getting an eye prosthesis. Oscar's family forgave Evans, but he hasn't flown any of his drones since, saying that when he looks at his drones since the incident, he feels "physically ill".
Event in the United States, August 2013
A drone filming an event at the Virginia Bull Run in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, collided with the crowd, causing minor injuries.
Gay Pride Parade, Seattle
A woman attending the Seattle Pride parade was hit by a drone, fell unconscious, and suffered a concussion. She was near Fourth Avenue and Madison Street when the drone collided with a building, fell and hit her in the head.
Her boyfriend caught her when she fell and an off-duty firefighter helped. The police investigated and the pilot introduced himself.
In January 2017, Paul M. Skinner was found guilty of reckless danger by a six-person jury in a unanimous verdict before Judge Willie Gregory.
It was the first time the Seattle Attorney's Office had convicted someone of mishandling a drone in a public place.
This conviction carries a penalty of up to 364 days in prison and a fine of $5,000.
US Open
A drone collided with empty seats at the US Open at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Queens, New York, without causing injury, according to the USTA. It happened during a match between Flavia Pennetta and Monica Niculescu.
A teacher named Daniel Verley was arrested on charges of reckless danger, reckless drone operation, and drone operation outside a prescribed area in a New York City park.
He was released and ordered to appear in court at a later date. It is expressly prohibited to bring drones to the National Tennis Center facilities.
In October 2015, Daniel Verley was sentenced to community service, involving private tutoring from underprivileged students.
Golden State Race Series
A drone filming the Golden State Race Series in California collided with a tree and got out of control and crashed into a group of cyclists.
Part of the drone lodged in a cyclist's front wheel, causing him to roll over and suffer abrasions. The drone operator offered to buy the cyclist a new front wheel and helmet.
Drone throws water balloons at athletes
An athletics meeting at Trabuco Hills High School, Mission Viejo, Calif., was the target of a drone that threw water balloons at the event, although only one person was hit. The drone was located and the athletic trainer sent people to find the drone operators. The police were notified the next morning.
Petco Park, San Diego
A GoPro Karma drone hit a seat in Petco Park in San Diego, California, miraculously missing fans, during a match between the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Major League Baseball says drones are not allowed on baseball fields.
Dear reader, drones are a reality of our time and, like any electronic device, a drone can break or injure people, as we saw in the real examples mentioned above. Therefore, we at Prospecto insist on safety and security.
Come talk to us, we have the right insurance for your drone.
We're waiting for you for the next #MondayBlog.
Have a great week, lovers!
Prospecto Seguros
LEGAL NOTICE
This post was created through research on sites, under the "Fair Use" copyright law, as the research materials fall under public knowledge.
Learn more:
Drones
Errors and Omissions
Equipments
Audiovisual Production
Life and Personal Accidents