United Passenger Dragged From Flight Suffered Concussion, Broken Nose

CHICAGO, IL — The passenger who was violently pulled from a United Airlines flight by Chicago aviation security officers suffered a "significant concussion," a broken nose that will require reconstructive surgery, two lost teeth and other injuries, his lawyer said Thursday, adding that a civil lawsuit is likely.

The aggressive handling of the passenger, Dr. David Dao, 69, was captured on video, and the incident and United's response has led to a public relations nightmare for the airline, losses in its stock value and threats of action from Congress.

Dao's attorney, Tom Demetrio, told a news conference Thursday that he and his firm's investigators are gathering evidence for a full account of what happened on before takeoff on United flight 3411.

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Dao was one of four people randomly chosen to be bumped Sunday from the Chicago-to-Louisville flight so that airline employees could fly. Dao was forcibly dragged down the plane's aisle by the Chicago Aviation Police when he refused to give up his seat. Three officers have been placed on administrative leave as the Chicago Department of Aviation, which oversees the airport security force, reviews their roles in the incident.

Dao was taken and treated at a Chicago hospital after receiving the injuries Sunday and was held until Wednesday night, Demetrio added. Dao remains at a "secure location" in the city, but his lawyer wouldn't reveal where and asked the media to respect his client's privacy. However, Demetrio did say that Dao would eventually discuss the incident.

WATCH: Check out a quick video recap of Thursday's press conference (video of the full event at the bottom of the page):

"What happened to my dad should have never happened to any human being, regardless of circumstance," Crystal Pepper, Dao's daughter, said at the news conference with the attorney. "We were horrified and shocked and sickened to learn what had happened to him and to see what had happened to him. We hope that in the future nothing like this happens again."

Pepper said her family's "normalcy" has been disrupted since video footage of her father's treatment aboard the plane began playing in a seemingly endless loop on TV and across social media and news websites. Relatives, including her four siblings, have been doing their best to cope with the tidal wave of public scrutiny that has washed over their lives, she said.

"My dad is a wonderful father. He and my mother have raised five great children …," Pepper added. "At the end of the day, that is the person we are trying to protect here."

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United Flight 3411: 2 More Chicago Aviation Cops Suspended: PLUS: Passengers will get refunds | Doctor pulled from plane to hold conference | 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.

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Incident Illustrates Widespread Problems

Demetrio called Dao the "poster child" for a culture of rudeness and bullying that has infected United and the airline industry. His client's ordeal illustrates just how severe the problem has become, he said. An eventual lawsuit would be a step toward trying to change that culture as well as an attempt to eliminate the airline practice of overselling tickets on flights, Demetrio added.

"Short term, all airlines need to figure out the overbooking situation as it exists today," he said. "They've got to figure out a way, short term, to solve what I'm calling the 'over-overbooking' that we as consumers are facing. That's the biggest problem."

Dao's attorneys have two years to file a lawsuit, but Demetrio said he didn't expect it to take that long. Currently, the legal team is in the process of doing due diligence by reviewing Sunday's events, along with United's policies and training routines, he said. On Wednesday, lawyers filed a petition in Cook County for a court order to preserve any possible evidence from Sunday's flight and incident, including airport security videos, cockpit recordings, passenger lists and personnel files from the Chicago Department of Aviation. Lawyers also are waiting to see the extent of Dao's physical, mental and emotional injuries, he added.

Any civil legal action by Dao would most likely involve United and the City of Chicago, Demetrio said. By law, an airplane is under the control of the pilot, which makes United a responsible party, he said. The city could be included because the aviation officers are municipal employees, he added.

"Just because United is responsible doesn't mean the City of Chicago isn't responsible. ... More than one party can be responsible," Demetrio said.

United's Response

Minutes after Thursday's press conference, United Airlines issued its own response to what Dao's lawyer and family had to say. Since video of Dao's removal went viral, the company has been trying to salvage its damaged reputation, which has resulted in missteps by the carrier and its CEO, Oscar Munoz. In Thursday's statement, the airline extended yet another apology to Dao and reiterated that it was "steadfast in our commitment to make this right." To that end, United outlined the steps it was taking to accomplish that:

"First, we are committing that United will not ask law enforcement officers to remove passengers from our flights unless it is a matter of safety and security. Second, we’ve started a thorough review of policies that govern crew movement, incentivizing volunteers in these situations, how we handle oversold situations and an examination of how we partner with airport authorities and local law enforcement. Third, we will fully review and improve our training programs to ensure our employees are prepared and empowered to put our customers first. Our values – not just systems – will guide everything we do. We’ll communicate the results of our review and the actions we will take by April 30."

United's statement also said that Munoz and the airline had called Dao "on numerous occasions" to apologize, something that Demetrio and Dao's daughter had continually refuted earlier during the press conference.

Other highlights from Thursday's press conference included:

Dao's Criminal History

Demetrio refused to discuss Dao's conviction nearly 15 years ago on charges he wrote false prescriptions for painkillers, such as Oxycontin and Percocet. Dao was found guilty in 2004 on six counts of complicity in obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and sentenced in 2005 to five years supervised probation.

"Has he had a series of bumps in the road? Yeah. He's 69 years old," said Demetrio, adding that his client's past legal problems were not relevant to what happened aboard United flight 3411.

"It's not the story here," Demetrio said later. "If this case goes to jury, they will never, ever hear about it, and they'll be instructed, if they have heard, to disregard."

As part of his sentence in the case, Dao was stripped of his medical license in Kentucky. But it was reinstated in 2015, and he can practice medicine under certain conditions.

Why Dao Didn't Give Up His Seat

When Dao was told he was being bumped from Sunday's flight, he refused to leave the plane, telling the crew he needed to return to Kentucky because he had appointments with patients Monday. The fact that United was offering $800 in compensation for taking another flight didn't play a factor into his decision, Demetrio said.

"They could've offered $3,000, he and his wife need to get back [home]," he said.

Demetrio was unsure if Dao's wife — a doctor who also had patient appointments Monday — was bumped from the flight or if she was asked to leave once her husband was dragged from his seat.

Demetrio said he's been hearing from other United Airlines passengers — those travelers on United flight 3411 and those on other flights — about their experience with the carrier, and he's observed a "culture of disrespecting customers." In some cases, frequent fliers and passengers flying first class were told they need to give up their seats on flights because "someone more important needs this seat," he said. But Demetrio doesn't think refunds — which United has offered to all of the passengers on Dao's flight — will buy off customers to keep them from telling their stories.

"There are a lot of angry people out there, United customers, United employees," Demetrio said. "Yeah, it's something Mr. Munoz needs to look at."

"I don't know if it's society, as a a whole, just angry. I don't know what it is," he added.

While this anger might be widespread throughout United flights and overall air travel, Demetrio believes Dao's situation and the way it escalated to physical injury was an isolated incident and not a rampant problem.

"I'm hoping Dr. Dao is the only person who was removed like this," he said. "I'd be shocked if this happened to someone else."

WATCH: Dr. David Dao and his lawyers give a press conference in Chicago:

UPDATED (1:48 p.m. Thursday, April 13)

Crystal Pepper, the daughter of Dr. David Dao, the United Airlines passenger who was forcibly removed from a flight out of Chicago on Sunday, April 9, talks to reporters during a news conference Thursday, April 13. (Screen shot via video by Global News | YouTube)

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