THE Vietnamese doctor who was dragged off an overbooked United Airlines flight with a bloodied mouth claims the ordeal was more “harrowing and horrifying” than fleeing the Vietcong during the fall of Saigon.
David Dao, 69, was forced off the flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky, so staff from a partner airline could have his seat for a connecting flight.
In a press conference held by his lawyer Thomas Demetrio said he had lost two front teeth, suffered a significant concussion and his nose was broken.
He added that Dr Dao told him that when he fled after the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces in 1975 he recalled being terrified.
But he said “being dragged down the aisle was more horrifying and harrowing than leaving Vietnam”.
Mr Demetrio added Dao has no recollection of running back onto the plane after he was hauled off.
His daughter Crystal Pepper, 33, says seeing her dad removed from the Sunday flight was “exacerbated” by seeing it all over the media.
She said: “What happened to my dad should never happen to any human being.
“We were horrified, shocked and sickened to learn and see what happened to him.
“We hope that in the future nothing like this happens again.”
Demetrio said it is likely he will file a lawsuit on Dao’s behalf, adding that airlines and United in particular have long “bullied” passengers.
He added neither the legal team nor the family had heard from United yet.
Aviation law expert Arthur Wolk, the founding partner of the Wolk Law Firm in Philadelphia, told Town and Country that Dr Dao could be awarded millions in a legal battle.
He said: “There is nothing in that contract that gives United the right to commit an assault and battery on a passenger.
“I would say that this is the kind of thing that could go anywhere because the video is extremely disturbing, and I just think it’s so reprehensible.”
“My view here is Dr Dao has a very good case against United Airlines and if I were United Airlines, I’d be all over him to try to get him to accept a reasonable compensation and to go away.”
A statement from his new attorney Stephen Golan read: “The family of Dr. Dao wants the world to know that they are very appreciative of the outpouring of prayers, concern and support they have received.
“Currently, they are focused only on Dr. Dao’s medical care and treatment.”
When Dr David Dao was asked by WLKY what his injuries were, he said “everything” and told the broadcaster he is not doing well.
Video of the incident provoked rage across the world and at one point $1billion was wiped off the company’s value.
His lawyers have made an emergency request for the video to be preserved as evidence.
They are desperate for the airline not to delete the CCTV, cockpit recordings or passenger and crew lists for flight 3411 in a bid to help their anticipated multi-million lawsuit against United.
United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz says he felt “ashamed” watching video of the passenger being dragged off a United Express flight and has promised to review the airline’s passenger removal policy.
In an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America aired today, Munoz apologized to Dr Dao of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, his family and the other passengers who witnessed him being forcibly removed from the plane.
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Munoz vowed this “will never happen again on a United flight” and that law enforcement won’t be involved in future.
Munoz called the embarrassment a “system failure,” saying United will review its policies for seeking volunteers to give up their seats when a flight is full.
United was trying to find seats for four employees of a partner airline, meaning four passengers had to deplane.
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