The fallout from last year’s holiday drone show mishap at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando has escalated into the courtroom. Earlier this month, Adriana Edgerton, the mother of a 7-year-old boy struck by a malfunctioning drone during the December 21, 2024, performance, filed a sweeping negligence and product liability lawsuit in Orange County Circuit Court against the City of Orlando and four companies tied to the event.
The lawsuit claims Edgerton’s son, identified in filings as A.E., suffered “severe and permanent injuries” to his face and chest when one of the drones veered out of formation, breached safety boundaries, and slammed into him at high speed. According to court documents, the child’s injuries will require long-term medical care and have left him with lasting physical and emotional harm.
Multiple defendants named in lawsuit
The 59-page complaint targets several parties Edgerton alleges share responsibility for the accident:
- City of Orlando: Accused of failing to properly vet and supervise the drone show operator, and of authorizing a high-risk performance over a crowded public park without adequate safety measures.
- Sky Elements: The Texas-based drone show company contracted to run the event. The suit claims Sky Elements used insufficient redundancies, relied on a single pilot to manage a 500-drone fleet, and failed to employ adequate kill-switch protocols or trained spotters.
- UVify (US) and UVify (South Korea): Manufacturers of the drones, which Edgerton says were defectively designed and lacked reliable geofencing, estimator redundancies, and emergency termination systems.
- SPH Engineering (Latvia): Developer of the flight control software that coordinated the drone formations. The lawsuit alleges its program lacked essential safeguards and failed to prevent the flyaway.
Edgerton is seeking compensatory damages for her son’s medical expenses, pain and suffering, disfigurement, disability, and other losses. She has also requested a jury trial.
Drone show tragedy at Lake Eola
The Orlando holiday drone show, organized as a festive family event just days before Christmas, featured 500 UVify IFO drones forming seasonal images in the night sky. But spectators quickly realized something was wrong.
Multiple drones reportedly malfunctioned, breaking formation and straying beyond their designated flight zones. One drone — identified in court filings as “Drone No. 142” — barreled into the crowd and struck Edgerton’s son. Emergency responders treated the child on-site before he was hospitalized with serious injuries…