‘Scarier’ than in the war

A PASSENGER dragged from an overbooked United Express flight suffered a “significant” concussion and broken nose, and lost two front teeth, one of his lawyers said.

Dr David Dao has been discharged from a hospital but he will require reconstructive surgery, said lawyer Thomas Demetrio, whose law firm is representing the 69-year-old Kentucky physician.

Dr Dao was forcibly removed from the plane on Sunday after he refused to give up his seat on the full flight from Chicago to Louisville.

One of Dr Dao’s five children, Crystal Pepper, said the family was “horrified, shocked and sickened” to see what happened.

“On behalf of my dad and my entire family, we would like to express our gratitude for the huge outpouring of prayers, love and concern we have received,” she said.

Mr Demetrio said he likely will file a lawsuit on Dr Dao’s behalf, adding that airlines – and United in particular – have long “bullied” passengers. “There is nothing in that contract that gives United the right to commit an assault and battery on a passenger,” he said.

“I would say that this is the kind of thing that could go anywhere because the video is extremely disturbing, and I just think it’s so reprehensible.”

He added that Dr Dao told him that when he fled Saigon on a boat as the Viet Cong overran the city in 1975 he was terrified, but being pulled off the United flight was “scarier”.

The video of the passenger being dragged by an officer from a United Express flight shone an unwanted spotlight on the little-known police force that guards Chicago’s two main airports and could threaten the agency’s future.

Chicago’s aviation officers are not part of the regular police force and get less training than regular officers.

Three of them have been put on leave amid outrage over how they treated the passenger.