Man forcibly dragged off plane after refusing to give up seat to United Airlines employee

**anonemus** · April 16th, 2017 11:22 AM

I can not not share this
😁

Here is what to do when United Airlines tries to drag you off of a plane ;) - YouTube

**kagalingan** · April 18th, 2017 05:10 AM

Here's How Much David Dao Will Make From United, According To A Lawyer

Here'''s How Much David Dao Will Make From United, According To A Lawyer

The passenger who was forcibly removed from a United Airlines flight by aviation security officials Sunday garnered much public sympathy in the days since video emerged of him being dragged, bloody and screaming, down the aisle of a plane. David Dao, 69, retained a lawyer and filed a petition with an Illinois court to get all evidence related to the incident preserved.

While a lawsuit wasn't filed, Dao’s lawyer confirmed in a press conference Thursday there would likely be one, which begs the question: In the wake of such a high-profile, controversial incident, how much will Dao get?

“Dr. Dao will likely get millions here,” James Goodnow, an attorney with the Lamber-Goodnow Injury Law Team at Fennemore Craig, who is licensed in Chicago, told International Business Times in an interview Thursday. “The only question is how many zeros will follow the first number.”

Dao has a number of claims against both the city of Chicago and United. First and foremost, he has an assault and battery case.

“This is going to be a slam dunk, a no-brainer, an easy win,” Goodnow told IBT. “It’s documented on multiple cell phones. There’s no question.”

Other claims will likely include breach of contract, false imprisonment, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

“That’s just a big fancy way of saying that the officers involved, and/or United Airlines, intentionally engaged in outrageous conduct that could be expected to have an emotional impact on Dr. Dao,” said Goodnow. “I think most people would consider this conduct outrageous and I think there’s little question Dao has suffered emotionally.”

There is no specific monetary cap in Chicago on what a plaintiff can get. Dao would likely collect on an array of damages including medical bills, lost wages and general damages, which include those things that can’t be quantified, like emotional distress and pain and suffering. Illinois is one of the most restrictive places in the country when it comes to punitive damages, which refer to damages awarded to punish wrongdoers and deter future wrong conduct, so lawyers would have to look elsewhere for a larger payday.

“The real money is going to come in the area of emotional distress damages — the pain and suffering. We call those general damages,” said Goodnow. “That’s where you can juice this up from a monetary perspective.”

In a typical personal injury case, Goodnow explained, a general rule of thumb is that plaintiffs are rewarded three to four times his or her medical bills. In a case where a client’s past and future medical bills are estimated to be about $100,000, the payout would likely be somewhere between $300,000 and $400,000. Not so for Dao, namely because the case will almost certainly never make it to court.

“What you will see here is a settlement value that will blow away anything Dr. Dao will ever recover in court,” said Goodnow.

Because of the nature of the case and the intense public scrutiny, United will likely be motivated to aim for a settlement, which will garner a larger payout for Dao than a trial would. The company has already become the subject of numerous boycotts, internet mocking and a plunging stock price and can’t afford to be at the center of yet another controversy.

“Look at the attention this case has received in just a few days,” said Goodnow. “Imagine what would happen if you have a public trial and every reporter is covering it. Every day will be another paper cut for United.”

The mistakes made by United after the incident will presumably benefit Dao. At least, from a monetary standpoint.

Instead of apologizing to Dao, the airline said it was sorry for having to “re-accommodate” passengers in their first statement. They were the subject of swift backlash by people who took issue with the phrasing. In a different memo to employees, which was obtained by the media, CEO Oscar Munoz appeared to blame Dao for being “disruptive and belligerent” and leaving the crew “no choice” but to call aviation security to forcibly remove him, though video recorded right before the incident suggested otherwise.

“All of these missteps are going to enter into the equation when United is deciding how much to pay here,” said Goodnow. “If United insults Dr. Dao and his legal team with a 'lowball' offer, they risk an ever greater backlash. If that information were to leak out, it would be so damaging if it looks like, in the face of this, United is trying to get out on the cheap.”

Munoz issued yet another statement from the company Tuesday in which he took “full responsibility” and pledged to make the situation right.

“I don’t think United’s legal team is going to try and 'lowball' Dr. Dao here,” said Goodnow. “I think they’re going to come in with the biggest number they can to get this put to bed as soon as possible.”

**kagalingan** · April 20th, 2017 01:42 AM

Hindi pala malulugi kahit $10,000 ioffer for every passenger they bumped involuntarily last year

Maganda ito kung kailangan ibump 5 passenger tapos nagkataon family of 5 kayo. $50,000!!! Para na kayo nanalo ng ramon magsasay award.

Overbooked flight on Delta? You now could get nearly $10,000 to give up your seat

Delta is letting employees offer customers almost $10,000 in compensation to give up seats on overbooked flights, hoping to avoid an uproar like the one that erupted at United after a passenger was dragged off a jet.

United is taking steps too. It will require employees seeking a seat on a plane to book it at least an hour before departure, a policy that might have prevented Sunday's confrontation.

Those and other changes show airlines are scrambling to respond to a public relations nightmare — the video showing airport officers violently yanking and dragging David Dao, 69, from his seat on a sold-out United Express flight.

Dao and three others were ordered off the plane after four airline employees showed up at the last minute and demanded seats so they could be in place to operate a flight the next day in Louisville, Ky.

On Friday, a United spokeswoman said the airline changed its policy to require traveling employees to book a flight at least 60 minutes before departure. Had the rule been in place Sunday, United Express Flight 3411 still would have been overbooked by four seats, but United employees could have dealt with the situation in the gate area instead of on the plane.

Delta Air Lines is moving to make it easier to find customers willing to give up their seats. In an internal memo obtained Friday by the Associated Press, Delta said gate agents can offer up to $2,000, up from a previous maximum of $800, and supervisors can offer up to $9,950, up from $1,350.

United said it is reviewing its compensation policies. The airline would not disclose its current payment limit.

Other airlines said they were examining their policies. American Airlines updated its rules to say that no passenger who has boarded the plane will be removed to give the seat to someone else.

None would describe their limits on paying passengers.

When there aren't enough seats, airlines usually ask for volunteers by offering travel vouchers, gift cards or cash.

Last year Delta got more passengers to give up their seats than any other U.S. airline, partly by paying more than most of the others.

As a result, it had the lowest rate among the largest U.S. airlines of bumping people off flights against their will — something that is legal but alienates customers and requires the airline to pay compensation of up to $1,350 per person.

Overselling flights is a fact of life in the airline business. Industry officials say that it is necessary because some passengers don't show up, and that overbooking keeps fares down by reducing the number of empty seats.

The practice has been questioned, however, since video of the United Express incident went viral. United Continental Chief Executive Oscar Munoz's initial attempts to apologize were roundly criticized. On Friday, company Chairman Robert Milton said the board supported Munoz.

“We need to use this regrettable event as a defining moment and pivot off it to craft friendly policies,” Milton said in a note to employees.

The dragging has turned into a public relations nightmare for the entire industry, not just United, and led to calls from politicians and consumer advocates to suspend or ban overbooking.

Ben Schlappig, a travel blogger who first wrote about the Delta compensation increase, said it shows Delta is trying to reduce forced bumping. He said he couldn't imagine many situations in which people wouldn't jump at nearly $10,000.

Delta no doubt hopes that gate agents and their supervisors won't need to make maximum offers, and the financial cost to the airline is likely to be limited. If Delta paid $9,950 to every person it bumped involuntarily last year, that would total $12 million. Delta earned nearly $4.4 billion.

Raising the limits "lets them solve some PR problems" and might head off U.S. Transportation Department regulations to curb overbooking, said another travel blogger, Gary Leff. "They can say, 'Look, we're already solving the problem.'"

An Associated Press analysis of government data shows that in 2015 and 2016, Delta paid an average of $1,118 in compensation for every passenger that it denied a seat. Southwest Airlines paid $758, United $565, and American Airlines $554.

After the incident in Chicago, critics questioned why United didn't offer more when no passengers accepted the airline's $800 offer for volunteers to give up their seats.

"If you offer enough money, even the guy going to a funeral will sell his seat," said Ross Aimer, a retired United pilot.

Overbooked flight on Delta? You now could get nearly $1, to give up your seat - LA Times

Overbooked flight on Delta? You now could get nearly $10,000 to give up your seat

**kagalingan** · April 29th, 2017 07:18 AM

Mukhang malaki-laki nakubra....... at ang bilis......

United Airlines has reached a settlement with the passenger who was dragged off a plane

United Airlines has reached an out-of-court settlement with David Dao.

According to Thomas Demetrio, an attorney for Dao, the two parties reached an "amicable settlement" on Thursday over the injuries Dao, a doctor, suffered when he was forcibly removed from United Airlines Flight 3411 earlier this month.

Both parties have agreed to keep the value of the settlement confidential.

In a statement, Demetrio praised United CEO Oscar Munoz.

"Mr. Munoz said he was going to do the right thing, and he has," Demetrio said. "In addition, United Airlines has taken full responsibility for what happened on Flight 3411, without attempting to blame others, including the City of Chicago.

"For this acceptance of corporate accountability, United is to be applauded."

On April 9, Chicago aviation officers dragged Dao off the plane, which was bound for Louisville, Kentucky, when he refused to give up his seat to make room for airline crew.

"United and Dr. Dao have reached an amicable resolution of the unfortunate incident that occurred aboard Flight 3411," the airline said in a statement to Reuters. "We look forward to implementing the improvements we have announced."

United Airlines on Thursday announced a host of policy changes aimed at preventing a similar event, including additional training for crew, supplemental problem-solving resources, and increased financial incentives for passengers who voluntarily give up their seats.

United Airlines has reached a settlement with the passenger who was dragged off a plane