The United Airlines passenger who was pulled screaming from his seat lost two teeth and suffered a concussion and broken nose during the incident, his lawyer has said.
Footage of David Dao being pulled from his seat on Sunday evening and dragged unconscious down the plane aisle went viral and plunged the airline into a PR catastrophe.
He was later filmed running back onto the plane, disorientated and saying “just kill me”.
The doctor been randomly selected to be forced from the flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky, because it had been overbooked. He had calmly refused to leave as he had patients to see in the next day.
On Thursday, Dao’s lawyer Thomas Demetrio told reporters that Dao needed reconstructive surgery after the incident.
At the press conference in Chicago, Dao’s daughter Crystal Dao Pepper said: “What happened to my dad should’ve never happened to any human being.
“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.”
Demetrio said: “Here’s the law, real simple: If you’re going to eject a passenger, under no circumstances can it be done with unreasonable force or violence.”
He said there would “probably” be a lawsuit against the airline.
United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz accused Dao of being “belligerent and disruptive” but video shows Dao remaining calm in the moments leading up to the physical altercation.
Munoz initially apologised for “having to re-accommodate” customers. As United’s PR nightmare worsened, he issued another apology for “the truly horrific event,” promising that “we will do better.”
“He was a paying passenger sitting in a seat in our aircraft, and no one should be treated that way, period,” Munoz eventually said.
Demetrio called the apology “staged” and said airlines had “bullied us” and “treated us less than we deserve.”
“Are we gonna continue being treated like cattle, bullied?” We all have enough angst for flying as it is,” he said.
Earlier, the family’s lawyer Stephen Golan said: “The family of Dr. Dao wants the world to know that they are very appreciative of the outpouring of prayers, concern and support they have received.”