The Kentucky doctor who was dragged off the United flight after he refused to give up his seat to employees of a partner airline has reached an settlement with United with an undisclosed financial settlement.
The April 9 incident took to the social media and welcome harsh comments and response against the airline. David Dao’s legal team said in a brief statement that the agreement includes a provision that the amount will remain confidential, and praised United CEO Oscar Munoz. The 69-year-old’s lawyers announced the deal saying Dao reportedly suffered multiple injuries during the incident including a concussion, broken nose and lost teeth.
The settlement factually means that the airline will not face the lawsuit that many observers expected, which otherwise would have been a costly court battle. United also issued a brief statement, saying it was pleased to report “an amicable resolution of the unfortunate incident that occurred aboard Flight 3411”.
Dao’s lawyer added in a separate statement that Dr. Dao has become the unintended champion for the adoption of changes, which will certainly help improve the lives of literally millions of travellers.
The settlement came on the same day when United declared new policies to improve interaction with passengers. United Airlines announced that they would offer up to $10,000 to passengers who volunteer to surrender their seats on an overbooked flight. The carrier said in a statement that they focus to be a more customer-focused airline.
