Attorney: Man dragged off United plane suffered a “significant concussion,” a broken nose, and lost two front teeth https://t.co/DbmnNhKNBz
— CNN (@CNN) April 13, 2017
Following Dr. David Dao’s forcible removal from a United Airlines flight by the Chicago Aviation Police Department, the passenger told reporters that “everything is injured.” On Thursday morning, Dao’s lawyer (Tom Demetrio) held a press conference to relay how, indeed, the situation is dire. Dao, who was seen with blood streaming from his face in widely circulated video footage, is now expecting a long recovery, both physically and emotionally.
In the above clip, Demetrio revealed that Dao suffered a “significant concussion” along with a broken nose and sinus injury. He lost two front teeth and will soon be going reconstructive surgery for his injuries. Demetrio acknowledged that, yes, there will “probably” be a lawsuit coming (the legal discovery process has commenced). Below, he further reported how Dao, who left Vietnam in a boat in 1975, described his fear during the incident: “He said that being dragged down the aisle was more horrifying and harrowing than what he experienced in leaving Vietnam.”
“Being dragged down the aisle was more horrifying … than what he experienced in leaving Vietnam,” lawyer says United passenger told him pic.twitter.com/nKatJ0Z4a9
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 13, 2017
Demetrio did not wade into the wide-ranging issues about how airlines select passengers for ejection (and how to best address the dilemma). However, he did articulate the law in these situations: “If you’re going to eject a passenger, under no circumstances can it be done with unreasonable force.”
Also at the press conference, Dao’s daughter (Crystal Pepper) spoke about how she’s “horrified, shocked, and sickened” by the situation. However, she is eternally grateful for all the support her father’s received in the wake of his ordeal. You can watch Pepper speak below.