Man dragged off United flight will need surgery: lawyer

CHICAGO, IL. (NEWS 1130) – A lawyer for the passenger forcibly removed from a United Airlines flight earlier this week says the experience was more horrifying than when he left Vietnam during the fall of Saigon.

Dr. David Dao was dragged off a flight Sunday by police after he refused to give up his seat on the full plane to make room for crew members. Attorney Thomas Demetrio says Dao came to the US in 1975. His daughter says the 69-year-old is the father of five children.

Demetrio says he will “probably” file a lawsuit on Dao’s behalf. The lawyer says Dao suffered a concussion and broken nose and lost two front teeth and he will need reconstructive surgery.

His daughter says the family was “horrified, shocked and sickened” to learn and see what happened. Crystal Pepper says seeing her father removed from the Sunday flight was “exacerbated” by the fact it was caught on video and widely distributed.

United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz has said he was “ashamed” when he saw the video and that the airline is reviewing its policies. Munoz says law enforcement won’t be involved in removing passengers in the future.

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