NEED TO KNOW
- A boy in Florida had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery after being injured at a holiday drone show in December 2024
- Edgerton has since filed a lawsuit against the city of Orlando and others
- The boy’s alleged injuries are described in the lawsuit as “past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, disability, loss of enjoyment of life, and other economic and non-economic damages”
The mother of a 7-year-old boy who had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery after being injured at a holiday drone show in December 2024 is suing the city of Orlando, Fla., as well as other companies involved in the incident, a new lawsuit shows.
The boy was with his parents, Jessica Lumedge and Adriana Edgerton, watching the show at Lake Eola on Dec. 21, 2024.
The complaint obtained by PEOPLE alleges that, during the show, “multiple drones malfunctioned, causing these drones to leave formation, deviate from the coordinated flight path and breach the designated geofenced perimeter.”
One of the drones allegedly “entered the space occupied by spectators at a high rate of speed,” striking the boy “in the face and chest, causing severe and permanent injuries.”
The alleged injuries are described as “past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, disability, loss of enjoyment of life, and other economic and non-economic damages.”
As previously reported by PEOPLE, the boy underwent emergency open-heart surgery. According to Law & Crime, the boy spent roughly 10 days in he hospital and continues to recover from his injuries.
The boy sustained “traumatic, permanent injuries requiring medical treatment, and will continue to suffer physical, emotional, and financial harm,” according to the lawsuit.
A GoFundMe created to help with medical funds has raised over $36,000 of its $50,000 goal.
The lawsuit claims that the City of Orlando should have known that the drone show “involved high-risk aerial equipment” and that the drones “posed a foreseeable and unreasonable risk of harm to the public.”
According to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Board (NTSB), a review of aircraft logs revealed a 7-degree misalignment with the show position, resulting in the geo hard fence being too close to the audience.
“In addition, the fence was set to 5 meters rather than the company’s standard of 1 meter. The combined errors resulted in a reduced safety area that was outside of company standards,” the report said.
The city of Orlando, Sky Elements, and the drone’s manufacturer are accused of negligence. The software developer for the drones is accused of strict liability.
Sky Elements told PEOPLE it is aware of the filing; however, “as this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment further at this time.”
On Wednesday, Aug. 13, a spokesperson for the city of Orlando told WESH that the city had yet to be served.
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PEOPLE has reached out to the city of Orlando, NTSB, and an attorney for the plaintiff for comment.
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