Originally Posted by
Cyclosaurus
Let's say someone was walking up to your front door and you turned on your sprinklers, soaking them. If they happened to have a laptop, or a camera, cell phone, etc, that was damaged in the process, would the homeowner be liable? I'm guessing that plausible deniability would be the homeowner's best defense, saying that they didn't realize the person was on their property. But if the homeowner knew that the person was there and intentionally turned on the sprinkler, who knows how the police, D.A., judge, or jury might view that behavior? I'm wondering if there is a legal precedent for this situation. Perhaps playing baseball or kickball would be safer legally because 1) there's no guarantee that the drone would be damaged vs. turning the sprinkler on, and 2) the drone operator would be able to see what's going on, either by line of sight, or by the drone camera, and decide whether he wants to maintain close proximity to a game of baseball.
That's a tricky one, maintaining free access to ones front door without a fence and locked gate, it seems reasonable that one would be liable for damage caused by intentionally turning a sprinkler on while utilizing that free access. But what if that person chooses to enter ones back yard, or sit on their deck?
Another interesting question, what if the drone is being operated in way that denys one access or use of their property?
If a drone is blocking the door to ones home, preventing them from entering or exiting, would they be liable for damage if they knocked it out of their way?