Image from For the Defense magazine.

Defense Research Institute (DRI) recently published an article by Tressler attorney Timothy M. Ravich in the March 2026 issue of For the Defense magazine. The article is titled “Drones Are Now Ordinary Business Tools – and Ordinary Litigation Risks.” The article presents how unmanned aerial systems—variously referred to as “UAS” or “UAV” or “RPAS” or “drones”—have shifted from novel technology to routine commercial infrastructure, and how that transition is driving ordinary civil litigation. Drawing on statutory trends and reported cases, it identifies where liability is emerging, how federal aviation law shapes standards of care, and what defense counsel, insurers, and risk managers should anticipate as unmanned systems become further embedded in American commerce, with on-demand “flying taxis” on the horizon.

Read the full article here.

Preview

Once viewed as hobbyist devices or experimental tools, drones are now embedded in routine commercial operations nationwide. Insurers use them for roof inspections and catastrophe response. Utilities monitor transmission lines and substations. Construction firms rely on aerial mapping. Agricultural operators conduct crop analysis and spraying. Public agencies deploy drones for search-and-rescue, disaster assessment, and infrastructure inspection. What was novel a decade ago is operationally ordinary. That shift has brought drones into familiar categories of civil dispute. Unlike traditional aircraft, small UAS operate without airports, towers, or fixed infrastructure, allowing flight from backyards, campuses, and construction sites—an operational decentralization that helps explain why drone disputes arise in residential and commercial settings. For example, property owners allege trespass and nuisance. Neighbors assert privacy and harassment claims. Businesses litigate over software platforms, data access, training programs, and proprietary flight systems. Insurers confront coverage questions. Employers manage traditional employment law issues involving drone pilots and contractors.

About Timothy M. Ravich

Timothy M. Ravich concentrates his practice in the areas of aviation, product, and general civil litigation. Recognized as one of only 50 lawyers qualified as a Board-Certified Expert in the area of aviation law, Tim focuses on traditional areas of aviation litigation, including product liability and airline defense, and pioneering areas such as unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and advanced air mobility.

About DRI For the Defense Magazine

For The Defense (FTD) is DRI’s flagship publication and the only national monthly magazine specifically written for civil defense practitioners. FTD features articles centered on key developments and the latest trends in the law and civil litigation. Learn More: www.dri.org/