A former United captain has filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging wrongful termination and medical mismanagement following a workplace head injury.
In a 22-page complaint filed on July 3, Michael Tallon accuses United, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), and Aviation Medical Examiner Dr. Robert Noven of discrimination, retaliation, and fraud. Tallon claims the defendants wrongly forced him into a substance abuse program after he suffered a head injury while on a layover in the Azores in June 2023.
According to the filing, Tallon reported signs of a concussion to both an airline manager and an ALPA representative but was not referred for evaluation under FAA-mandated head injury protocols. Instead, Tallon alleges he was pressured to admit to alcoholism and was directed into an inpatient treatment facility.
“United and ALPA forced Plaintiff into a medically unnecessary substance abuse program… despite overwhelming evidence that Plaintiff did not meet any diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder,” the complaint states.
Tallon says that during the process, he was told directly by a United representative: “If I hear you say one more time that you are NOT in recovery, you will be out of compliance with the program.”
He was later admitted into United’s Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS) program, designed for substance-dependent pilots. However, Tallon alleges that no medical professional ever formally diagnosed him with alcohol dependence.
One neuropsychologist, after reviewing his records, allegedly told him, “There is no diagnosis here. You have not been diagnosed with anything.”
Termination
Despite undergoing a month-long inpatient program, completing outpatient therapy, and receiving multiple clean evaluations, Tallon remained in the HIMS program until his eventual termination in early 2025.
The lawsuit states that “Once you have agreed to HIMS, you cannot back out,” and alleges that United’s program imposed blanket conditions not tailored to individuals’ actual medical needs.
Tallon’s complaint includes six counts, including violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). It also accuses Dr. Noven of interfering with FAA medical certification and attempting to pressure another medical professional to change a favorable evaluation.
“Defendants’ conduct constitutes discrimination under the ADA,” the lawsuit claims, adding that the HIMS program was used in a punitive and retaliatory manner.
Tallon is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and has requested a jury trial. He is also asking the court to order changes to United’s HIMS program.
United declined to comment on the lawsuit, according to The Independent.
