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Doctor violently dragged from full United flight (1 Viewer)

Dao attorney Thomas Demetrio - “Mr. Munoz said he was going to do the right thing, and he has."

United wanted this to go away quickly. Dao is set for life.

 
Doug B said:
Can't airlines even do a little better than this? Seriously?

I haven't flown since 2004, and this kind of stuff would have been such oddball never-happen events ... and now it seems constant. People that have kept flying over the last decade frequently point out that things have gotten a lot worse (and not just because of 9/11).

...

Quick question for the jet-setters here: is flying first-class an almost 100% ironclad insulation from this kind of stuff? If you want a virtual guarantee that things will go right on your flight ... gotta go first-class in 2017, right? Budget prices, budget problems?
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No.  Here's a story about a guy who bought a first class ticket and got booted for someone more important.

 
Buzzbait said:
Dao attorney Thomas Demetrio - “Mr. Munoz said he was going to do the right thing, and he has."

United wanted this to go away quickly. Dao is set for life.
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Twitter reacts (attached photos at top link):
 

https://twitter.com/Scout_Finch/status/857674198235459587

Jennifer Hayden‏Verified account @Scout_Finch 1h1 hour ago

Dr. David Dao seen here leaving the United Airlines settlement meeting.
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https://twitter.com/TheValuesVoter/status/857682923671232513

TheValuesVoter‏ @TheValuesVoter 32m32 minutes ago

Dr. David Dao is going to be sleeping on a new mattress tonight, courtesy of @United shareholders.

Looks comfy!
Click to expand...
 
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Mookie said:
I think the airlines have brought this upon themselves.  Overbooking, the need to be on time, charging for checked bags, no food service.  The more passengers get squeezed, the more tensions rise, and the more likely you are to have conflicts. 
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Meh, people have and continue to buy almost exclusively based on price.  It's a race to the bottom on cutting costs, service. I don't blame the airlines entirely.    Add to that air travel now being more accessible by the wider population and stuff will happen. 

 
MarvinTScamper said:
we have a number?   I always felt he would settle, just not for 10M+ like most of you felt was a layup.
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Amount undisclosed so he may have settled for 10M+, we will probably never know. Thomas Demetrio is a very experienced lawyer in litigation of this type, so it is unlikely he took an early low ball offer.

 
squistion said:
Amount undisclosed so he may have settled for 10M+, we will probably never know. Thomas Demetrio is a very experienced lawyer in litigation of this type, so it is unlikely he took an early low ball offer.
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It's also unlikely United offered $10MM right out of the gate.

So where does that get us?

 
flranger said:
Politician Spock said:
There is no way United is dumb enough to let this go to court. 
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They do not have a choice.  If a litigant wants to pursue an action, the litigant is not required to take a settlement offer.

If I were United and could not settle, and I would have already offered seven figures, I would just go ahead and accept liability so that the jury only has damages to consider.  Fighting the liability issue and arguing guidelines and federal rules will just alienate the jury and ultimately increase the amount of the award.
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Everyone has their price. United's choice was do they pay that much or don't they. They weren't dumb enough not to pay that much and let it go to court. 

 
Christo said:
It's also unlikely United offered $10MM right out of the gate.

So where does that get us?
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I am sure they didn't. This was after some preliminary negotiations back and forth - but United wanted to make this go away as soon as possible, was not playing from a position of strength and may have thought it was worth a paying premium to settle this now and move on. It was probably less than the above figure but the exact amount remains speculative until the settlement details are revealed (which seems unlikely). 

 
MarvinTScamper said:
blah ####### blah.  You think the lawyer doesn't want $2M for 30 minutes of work vs $5M for 2 more years worth?   Show me a ####### number over $10M and then gloat.  Otherwise, EAD.
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So much anger for someone who is most likely wrong.

 
Email from United CEO:

Dear ...,

Each flight you take with us represents an important promise we make to you, our customer. It's not simply that we make sure you reach your destination safely and on time, but also that you will be treated with the highest level of service and the deepest sense of dignity and respect.

Earlier this month, we broke that trust when a passenger was forcibly removed from one of our planes. We can never say we are sorry enough for what occurred, but we also know meaningful actions will speak louder than words.

For the past several weeks, we have been urgently working to answer two questions: How did this happen, and how can we do our best to ensure this never happens again?

It happened because our corporate policies were placed ahead of our shared values. Our procedures got in the way of our employees doing what they know is right.

Fixing that problem starts now with changing how we fly, serve and respect our customers. This is a turning point for all of us here at United – and as CEO, it's my responsibility to make sure that we learn from this experience and redouble our efforts to put our customers at the center of everything we do.

That’s why we announced that we will no longer ask law enforcement to remove customers from a flight and customers will not be required to give up their seat once on board – except in matters of safety or security.

We also know that despite our best efforts, when things don’t go the way they should, we need to be there for you to make things right. There are several new ways we’re going to do just that.

We will increase incentives for voluntary rebooking up to $10,000 and will be eliminating the red tape on permanently lost bags with a new "no-questions-asked" $1,500 reimbursement policy. We will also be rolling out a new app for our employees that will enable them to provide on-the-spot goodwill gestures in the form of miles, travel credit and other amenities when your experience with us misses the mark. You can learn more about these commitments and many other changes at hub.united.com.

While these actions are important, I have found myself reflecting more broadly on the role we play and the responsibilities we have to you and the communities we serve.

I believe we must go further in redefining what United's corporate citizenship looks like in our society. You can and ought to expect more from us, and we intend to live up to those higher expectations in the way we embody social responsibility and civic leadership everywhere we operate. I hope you will see that pledge express itself in our actions going forward, of which these initial, though important, changes are merely a first step.

Our goal should be nothing less than to make you truly proud to say, "I fly United."

Ultimately, the measure of our success is your satisfaction and the past several weeks have moved us to go further than ever before in elevating your experience with us. I know our 87,000 employees have taken this message to heart, and they are as energized as ever to fulfill our promise to serve you better with each flight and earn the trust you’ve given us.

We are working harder than ever for the privilege to serve you and I know we will be stronger, better and the customer-focused airline you expect and deserve.

With Great Gratitude,
Oscar Munoz
CEO
United Airlines
Click to expand...

 
chet said:
Email from United CEO:
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can't wait to see the email the rest of us cattle-car/coach travelers get.

Dear....,

You now have to pay extra for window and aisle seats. but you get peanuts and water. and #### you. 

yours etc,

airplane guy.

 
Christo said:
It's also unlikely United offered $10MM right out of the gate.
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Just once, I'd like to see one of these cases have an insane plaintiff -- and maybe independently wealthy one, to boot -- who just doesn't give a flip and DEMANDS to rake the defendant over the coals in open court. They don't want cash, you see ... they want to inflict pain upon the defendant.

Has that never once happened in the history of American jurisprudence? Someone ever have a slam-dunk, easy-win, high-payout lawsuit against mega-deep pockets ... and stubbornly totally refuse to settle at any price? Never once?

 
Doug B said:
Just once, I'd like to see one of these cases have an insane plaintiff -- and maybe independently wealthy one, to boot -- who just doesn't give a flip and DEMANDS to rake the defendant over the coals in open court. They don't want cash, you see ... they want to inflict pain upon the defendant.

Has that never once happened in the history of American jurisprudence? Someone ever have a slam-dunk, easy-win, high-payout lawsuit against mega-deep pockets ... and stubbornly totally refuse to settle at any price? Never once?
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Plenty.  And sometimes they won huge settlements.  That the courts reduced dramatically, like down to less than 1-2m. And the lawyers took most.  

You guys act like lawyers are all "oh no, this is really bad!!!"  They're like actuaries.  Here's the precedence.  Here's what was paid out in similar circumstances.  Here's what happen when someone died.  Here's what happened when someone was paralyzed.  

Couple mil, if they were super generous, and he would happily take it. 

 
MarvinTScamper said:
Plenty.  And sometimes they won huge settlements.  That the courts reduced dramatically, like down to less than 1-2m. And the lawyers took most.  

You guys act like lawyers are all "oh no, this is really bad!!!"  They're like actuaries.  Here's the precedence.  Here's what was paid out in similar circumstances.  Here's what happen when someone died.  Here's what happened when someone was paralyzed.  

Couple mil, if they were super generous, and he would happily take it. 
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Pro tip:  If won in court, it's a judgement not a settlement.  Please show me plenty of examples of where a jury awarded a huge judgement only to have the judge reduce it.  Come on MTS:  stop playing lawyer. :lol:   

 
MarvinTScamper said:
Plenty.  And sometimes they won huge settlements.  That the courts reduced dramatically, like down to less than 1-2m. And the lawyers took most.
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You misunderstand. I'm not talking about a plaintiff who wanted to get more money by refusing settlement and going to court. I'm talking about a plaintiff for whom it was completely personal, money didn't matter at all, and they wanted to embarrass and hurt the defendant in open court.

 
MarvinTScamper said:
You guys act like lawyers are all "oh no, this is really bad!!!"  They're like actuaries.  Here's the precedence.  Here's what was paid out in similar circumstances.  Here's what happen when someone died.  Here's what happened when someone was paralyzed.  
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Curious about something here:

Legal Guys: if these settlements are so often undisclosed, how do lawyers know how much was paid in similar past cases? Or do they only know the publicly-disclosed judgments?

 
chet said:
Pro tip:  If won in court, it's a judgement not a settlement.  Please show me plenty of examples of where a jury awarded a huge judgement only to have the judge reduce it. 
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Actually, my understanding is that this is common. Maybe Zow or Christo can weigh in with more detailed info.

 
chet said:
Pro tip:  If won in court, it's a judgement not a settlement.  Please show me plenty of examples of where a jury awarded a huge judgement only to have the judge reduce it.  Come on MTS:  stop playing lawyer. :lol:   
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I did already.  Pro tip: read the thread.  

 
Doug B said:
Curious about something here:

Legal Guys: if these settlements are so often undisclosed, how do lawyers know how much was paid in similar past cases? Or do they only know the publicly-disclosed judgments?
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Here, the Cook County Jury Verdict Reporter has the result of every jury trial. (I've got a few in there myself **toot-toot*). It plays a big part in settlement negotiations.

 
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Doug B said:
Just once, I'd like to see one of these cases have an insane plaintiff -- and maybe independently wealthy one, to boot -- who just doesn't give a flip and DEMANDS to rake the defendant over the coals in open court. They don't want cash, you see ... they want to inflict pain upon the defendant.

Has that never once happened in the history of American jurisprudence? Someone ever have a slam-dunk, easy-win, high-payout lawsuit against mega-deep pockets ... and stubbornly totally refuse to settle at any price? Never once?
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Isn't Demetrio the guy that did that in the Metra suit?

 
Short Corner said:
Isn't Demetrio the guy that did that in the Metra suit?
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If you mean the 2005 Metra derailment:

Quick Googling reveals that Demetrio's firm represented over 30 separate plaintiffs. I saw that some settled in the high seven digits. Didn't see if there were any holdouts for trial, though.

 
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