On Thursday, United Airlines made strides to move past its recent PR nightmare, announcing it had reached a settlement with passenger David Dao after he was forcefully dragged from one of its planes earlier this month.
Dao’s lawyers said their client had reached a settlement with the company for an undisclosed amount after threatening to take legal action, the New York Times reports. Dao was left with a broken nose, missing teeth, and a concussion after three security agents pulled him from his seat and down the aisle of a Kentucky-bound flight. Dao, a doctor, had refused to give up his seat for a United employee because he said he had patients to see.
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“United has taken full responsibility for what happened on Flight 3411, without attempting to blame others, including the City of Chicago,” Dao’s lawyer, Thomas A. Demetrio, said Thursday. “For this acceptance of corporate accountability, United is to be applauded.”
Before the settlement was announced, United released an updated list of procedures Thursday based on its investigation of the incident. Now, if a United flight is completely booked, like the one Dao was on, the airline will ask the last person who paid for a seat to give his or hers up. Additionally, people who have already taken their seats, are disabled, or unaccompanied minors will not be asked to give up their seat. The airline will now offer passengers up to $10,000 to give up their spot, should the flight be overbooked—a practice United also said it would keep to a minimum.
Charles Hobart, a spokesperson for the airline, also confirmed the agreement, telling the Times, “We are pleased to report that United and Dr. Dao have reached an amicable resolution of the unfortunate incident that occurred aboard flight 3411. We look forward to implementing the improvements we have announced, which will put our customers at the center of everything we do.”
