UPDATE: 1:35PM — (CNN) The passenger forcefully removed from a United Airlines flight earlier this week has a concussion and broken nose, his attorney told reporters Thursday, adding that the 69-year-old physician will file a lawsuit.
“If you’re going to eject a passenger, under no circumstances can it be done with unreasonable force or violence.
That’s the law,” he said.
“For a long time, airlines — United, in particular — have bullied us…. We want respect and we want dignity. That’s it. Not a big deal.”
The lawsuit will be filed in Cook County, Illinois, Circuit Court, the lawyer said, indicating it would target both the airline and the city of Chicago, whose Department of Aviation was involved in removing Dao from the plane
CHICAGO — (AP) A lawyer for the passenger who was dragged from a United Express flight says he and his client accept the airline CEO’s public apology but think it was insincere.
Attorney Thomas Demetrio said at a news conference Thursday that he thinks the apology that United CEO Oscar Munoz’s issued two days after first blaming the passenger, Dr. David Dao, was “staged” and done because the airline was taking a public relations “beating.”
Dao was dragged off a flight Sunday by airport guards after he refused to give up his seat on the full plane to make room for crew members.
Demetrio says Dao will “probably” sue over the incident and that the city of Chicago, which employs the guards, is also responsible.
Here is United CEO Oscar Munoz’s apology via Twitter:
United CEO Oscar Munoz: I’m sorry. We will fix this. https://t.co/v8EPGsiDCi pic.twitter.com/eOPiYcagvo
— United (@united) April 11, 2017
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