NEW YORK—Lawyers for the passenger dragged from a United Airlines plane in Chicago filed an emergency request with an Illinois state court on Wednesday to require the carrier to preserve video recordings and other evidence related to the incident.
Citing the risk of “serious prejudice” to their client, Dr. David Dao, the lawyers want United and the City of Chicago, which runs O'Hare International Airport, to preserve surveillance videos, cockpit voice recordings, passenger and crew lists, and other materials related to United Flight 3411. The filing with the Cook County Circuit Court likely presages an eventual lawsuit against United for the April 9 incident, where Dao was snatched from the seat he had paid for, and was dragged by his hands on his back off the parked plane, which had been bound for Louisville, Kentucky.
United Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz on Wednesday issued Dao an apology and said the company would no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights after global outrage erupted over the way Dao had been treated by airline and airport security staff.
Munoz said United would be examining its incentive program for volunteers on overbooked planes.
