Business & Tech
United Airlines, City Of Chicago Will Keep Evidence Related To Passenger Dragging
Lawyers for Dr. David Dao had asked for a court order last week so that video and records from the flight wouldn't be discarded.
CHICAGO, IL — The attorneys for the passenger who was violently dragged by aviation officers from a United Airlines flight after he refused to give up his seat won't need a court order to make sure the carrier and the City of Chicago don't get rid of possible evidence related to the incident. United and the city agreed Monday to keep any documents, video footage and other items and information connected to the Chicago-to-Louisville flight, the Chicago Tribune reports.
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Last week, lawyers for Dr. David Dao — the passenger from Kentucky who suffered a concussion, broken nose and other injuries in the incident — filed a petition for a court order that would force the airline and the city to keep potential evidence, such as airport security camera video, cockpit recordings, passenger lists and personnel files from the Chicago Department of Aviation, which employs the Chicago Aviation Police officers who pulled Dao from the plane. But a hearing Monday to hear the petition was canceled after United and the city said they would preserve those materials, the Tribune reports.
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Dao was one of four people randomly chosen to be bumped April 9 from the flight out of O'Hare International Airport so that airline employees could fly. Video of the incident was posted online that night, and Dao became a cause célèbre once the footage of his treatment aboard the flight went viral across social media platforms.
Since then, United has been weathering the media firestorm caused by the situation's "poor optics," to use the public relations jargon associated in descriptions of the airline's debacle. In an April 12 poll conducted by media and technology website Morning Consult, 44 percent of people who had heard about the airline recently said they would rather pay more and face a layover than fly United. An internal review of what transpired during flight 3411 should be complete by April 30, according to United CEO Oscar Munoz.
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Patch's United Flight 3411 Coverage:
Crew Members Will Be Booked 60 Minutes Before Departure Under New Policy: The policy comes after passenger Dr. David Dao was dragged off a flight and left bloodied when he did not give up his seat for a crew member.
Passenger Dragged From Flight Suffered Concussion, Broken Nose: VIDEO: A lawsuit likely after United forced a doctor off the plane to "re-accommodate" him so an airline employee could take his seat.
2 More Chicago Aviation Cops Suspended: PLUS: Passengers will get refunds | Congresswoman wants to end bumping.
United Won't Use Police To Pull Paid Passengers From Flights, Airline CEO Says: VIDEO: United CEO Oscar Munoz called Sunday's incident on a flight out of Chicago a "system failure" during an ABC News interview.
United Airline's Image Takes Online Beating In Memes, Comments: Social media reaction to video footage of a passenger being dragged from a full flight Sunday night has been swift and merciless.
Aviation Expert Defends United: Passenger Didn't Have Right To Stay On Plane: VIDEO: The airline was in "an impossible spot" and handled the situation as best it could, a DePaul transportation professor says.
Even before that report is finished, the carrier already has announced policy changes to help salvage its damaged reputation and avoid a repeat of the now-infamous incident. Crews traveling on United flights will now be booked at least 60 minutes before departure, and the airline will no longer use police to remove paid passengers from flights. Three Chicago Aviation Police officers who removed Dao have been placed on administrative leave while the city's Aviation Department reviews their roles in the incident.
At a news conference Thursday, Chicago lawyer Tom Demetrio, who represents Dao, and Crystal Pepper, Dao's daughter, discussed how the doctor from Kentucky planned to go forward in the wake of what had happened. Demetrio said a civil lawsuit against United and the City of Chicago was likely, but he and Dao's legal team need to do due dilligence — gathering evidence and getting a full accounting of the events of Sunday, April 9 — before filing.
image via Audra D. Bridges | Facebook
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