Dr. Dao Suffered Broken Nose, 'Significant 'Concussion & Lost 2 Teeth: Lawyer

By Stephen Gossett in News on Apr 13, 2017 4:08PM

The United passenger who was violently dragged off a flight on Sunday in an incident that sparked international outrage suffered significant injuries. Kentucky doctor David Dao suffered a broken nose, a "significant" concussion, lost two front teeth and will require reconstructive surgery, the passenger's lawyer said in a press conference on Thursday morning.

“What happened to Dr. Dao could have happened to any one of us," said Tom Demetrio, of Corboy & Demetrio, who, along with attorney Stephen Golan, is representing Dao.

Dao was discharged from a Chicago hospital late on Wednesday, Demetrio said. “He’s shaken," the lawyer added. Demetrio told reporters at the press conference that Dao described the United experience as "more horrifying and harrowing" than when he fled war-torn Vietnam.

Demetrio also characterized United CEO Oscar Munoz's apology as "staged," though added that it has been accepted.

Dao's daughter, Crystal Pepper, thanked those who've offered Dao and his family support. “What happened to my dad should have never happened to any human being, regardless of the circumstance… We hope in the future nothing like this happens again," she said on Thursday.

Demetrio did not yet announce a lawsuit—or lawsuits. "We’re not ready to sue, we’re doing our due diligence." But he suggested that probable legal action could be multi-pronged.

"Just because United is responsible doesn’t mean the city of Chicago isn’t responsible," he added. He called the aviation officers involved “storm troopers for a moment.” Dao's legal team filed documents on Wednesday to preserve key materials related to the incident, including the crew list, explanations of company policy and pertinent aviation-police files.