If the Night’s Watch had been able to purchase a cheap camera-equipped drone, Jon Snow might have noticed the Night’s King and his army of White Walkers before they surprised and overran the Wildings’ camp in Season 5 of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
Originally a tool developed exclusively for military operations, drones now hover at the horizon of widespread commercial application. Drones delivering online purchases and monitoring traffic are yesterday’s news; small and large businesses are now exploring the feasibility of using drones for such varied tasks as providing emergent medical services, waiting tables, providing wireless internet access, and inspecting industrial sites. This explosion of drone use brings with it a plethora of new liability exposures and insurance coverage issues. While tort litigation arising out of drone accidents has not yet inundated the court system, we can anticipate several types of liability claims because of the diverse ways in which society has begun to use these machines. The obvious source of liability for using a drone is its potential to cause bodily injury or property damage. Some drones can weigh up to 50 pounds and travel at speeds approaching 80 miles per hour. A number of media reports consequently describe severe lacerations, eye loss, and soft tissue injuries resulting from drone accidents.
