David Dao the doctor that was dragged off a Louisville, Kentucky-bound United Airlines flight speaks for the first after the incident. He was dragged off the flight when United Airlines needed four seats for their crew on the 9th of April. When Dao, 69, was dragged off a United airline, he lost two of his front teeth and suffered a concussion, broken nose, and damaged sinuses.
David refused to leave when he and his wife, Teresa, were selected to leave the plane. The security personnel had to drag him off.
In an interview with the Mail, Dao said he had no memory of the events and despite his horrific injuries, the real scars remaining were mental. He doubted that he could ever work again as a doctor and has been housebound while waiting for surgery on his nose.
“I’m in the process of recovery. I cannot concentrate well, or sleep well, I need more time to recover, more rest from a concussion. I need surgery to correct my nose, but first of all I worry about my brain,” he told the Mail.
“It affects my sleeping, coordination, concentration, doing anything. It could be permanent. My neurologist just says to go from Monday to Monday, they can’t say if it’s permanent.
“I could be like this in a year’s time, I don’t know. I’m not looking pretty good right now. I’m just very sad, I’m very emotional, I don’t know how I feel, just sad.”
David, who is also a marathon runner said he now walk slowly and cannot run again.
After the incident, United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz issued a public apology to all the passengers including David Dao.
Dao said “No, no, no. I didn’t speak to anyone, not the CEO, not anyone from the company, only to my lawyer”. When asked if the Airlines has contacted him personally to apologize.
He said that Munoz was allowed his “own opinion” and wouldn’t be drawn on United’s behaviour.
He preferred to concentrate on the positives from the horrific episode.