Lawyers for man dragged off United plane file court request
Lawyers for the passenger forcibly removed from a United Airlines flight to make way for crew have filed an emergency court request for the airline to ‘preserve and protect’ evidence.
The filing demands that the airline and the City of Chicago keep all surveillance videos, cockpit voice recordings, passenger and crew lists related to the flight.
David Dao, who is still recovering in hospital, is expected to give a news conference today.
He was filmed by fellow passengers being dragged off the flight at Chicago O’Hare airport on Sunday.
United had asked for volunteers on the overbooked flight to give up their seats to make way for four members of crew.
Despite offering compensation, no-one came forward, so four passengers were then chosen at random.
Mr Dao, aged 69, was traveling with his wife and told cabin crew he was a doctor and had patients to treat the next day.
The footage, which has been watched by millions on social media, shows him being dragged along the aisle and then running back on to the plane bloodied and screaming.
It has led to a major backlash against United Airlines, who has now offered to refund the ticket costs of all passengers on the flight.
The airline’s CEO Oscar Munoz has issued an apology, saying he was ashamed and embarrassed about the ‘truly horrific incident’ but is insisting he will not resign.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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