Drones have taken the country by storm. It seems almost everyone has a drone or knows someone who does. Some people use drones for photography and others just like to play pilot. While it is still unclear how many Americans own drones or even how many drones have been sold, drones have certainly made waves in American culture.
Drones have already been used in several crimes, from landing on the White House lawn to dropping contraband into high security prisons. To combat this, federal and state lawmakers have been scrambling to come up with legislation to keep drone use a safe and secure activity.
Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla is now pushing legislation to help regulate drone use and protect victims of damage caused by drones. Diaz de la Portilla’s law will allow legal ground for people to recoup the costs of damage to property or injury caused by drones if the drones were a substantial contributing factor to the damage.
There are currently no laws that account for damage caused by drones in Florida. Diaz de la Portilla feels this lack of legislation needs to be filled due to the unpredictability of drones, “they’re very hard to control and they can cause massive damage if they fall.”
If the bill becomes a law it would not only hold the drone operators liable for damages, but also the manufactures and distributors if a major malfunction or defect caused the damage.
This bill would piggyback on an existing law passed in 2013 that prevents law enforcement from using drones to gather evidence without a warrant. The new bill is now waiting for a vote in state Congress.
While the future of drone laws may be unclear, the law firm of Bauer Crider & Parry will be ready to adapt to whatever changes come their way. If you need a skilled criminal defense lawyer call the law firm with more than 130 combined years of experience.